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AND THEIR FRIENDS 



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COEXRIGHX DEPOSIT. 



PETER AND PAUL 
AND THEIR FRIENDS 



THE BEACON PRESS PUBLICATIONS 
IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 

THE BEACON COURSE 
OF GRADED LESSONS 

William I. Lawrance 

Florence Buck 

Editors. 



PETER AND PAUL 

AND THEIR FRIENDS 

A Manual for Religious Instruction 



BY 

HELEN NICOLAY 




PEINTED IN U. S. A. 

THE BEACON PRESS 

25 BEACON STREET 

BOSTON, MASS. 



3^ 
.\V6 



(p\°i 



Copyright, 1922, by 
THE BEACON PRESS, Inc. 



All rights reserved 



OCT 23 c2 



)CI.A686454 

1^0 J 



EDITORS' PREFACE 

The projectors of the Beacon Course in Religions 
Education have in mind two results which they be- 
lieve will be achieved by its use. The first and 
most important is the development of the moral 
and spiritual life of the children and young people 
studying it, and the direction of their conduct in 
social relations according to the highest Christian 
ideals. The second result desired is the imparting 
of knowledge, giving the students the religious her- 
itage that is their due, and especially such knowl- 
edge of our Scriptures as will prove fruitful in con- 
duct and character. 

To secure these results the Beacon Course uses 
in each of the books for pupils under twelve years 
old such material, chosen from the Bible and from 
other sources, as seems suited to the religious de- 
velopment of children of the age for which the book 
is provided. In the years from twelve to fourteen 
Bible material makes the basis of each of the three 
books offered. In these three years a rapid survey 
of its contents is made ; first of the Old Testament, 
with especial attention to the religious message of 
the prophets, in one year; then of the New Tes- 
tament in two years, presenting the life and work 

of Jesus in the first, and the achievements of his 

1 



2 EDITORS ' PREFACE 

followers, the founders of the Apostolic Church, in 
the second. 

The book here offered is intended to give pupils 
of fourteen a glimpse at the beginnings of the 
Christian church. It is hoped that they may see 
Peter and Paul and their associates as living per- 
sonalities; that they may feel the genuine interest 
of those who found working for the new faith a real 
adventure, and that, through association with the 
vital religious experience of these early Christians, 
their own religious life may be deepened and made 
more ardent. 

We believe that this book in the course will be 
found to combine, in a quite unique way, the later 
New Testament material which we want the pupils 
to know with the life-values which furnish the 
reason why we want them to know it. 

The Editors 



AUTHOR'S FOREWORD 

The writer still bears scars of lost Sundays in her 
childhood, when the vivid Bible stories were drained 
of their vitality by well-meaning instructors ; saints 
and sinners alike being reduced to a procession of 
gray, ineffective ghosts. 

Years later, confronted with a class of her own, 
she resolved that however ill-equipped she might 
be for teaching, one thing at least she could do, 
try to convince her group of young people that 
these men and women of an alien race and time 
were no mere ghosts, but strong rich personalities, 
or they could never have survived the centuries, 
with the wear and tear of the written word, and all 
the mutilating effects of translation. .She would 
try to show, furthermore, that they were not only 
very much alive, but had to struggle with precisely 
the same moral and material problems which con- 
front us to-day; and that this is the reason the 
study of their lives and characters may be of ab- 
sorbing interest, here and now. 

Not having a scholar's knowledge of the period, 
and therefore no means of deciding for herself which 
letters ascribed to Paul are to be considered genuine, 
or indeed a single point of nice Biblical criticism, 
she has depended for these matters on the judgment 



4 AUTHOR'S FOREWORD 

and scholarship of those who have read the manu- 
script. She has taken help avidly, wherever she 
could find it, in a fashion little short of piratical. 
She hopes the cause may condone the offense. Gen- 
tlemanly pirates sometimes thanked their victims. 
Venturing- to be as mannerly as they, she wishes to 
make acknowledgment to all who have helped her; 
particularly to Dr. William I. Lawrance, Dr. 
Florence Buck, and Dr. Clayton R. Bowen, who 
have read her manuscript and dealt most patiently 
with its errors. 

H. N. 



BOOKS WHICH TEACHERS MAY FIND USEFUL 
Books on Paul and His Letters 

Bacon, B. W. Story of St. Paul. Boston, Houghton Mif- 
flin Company, 1904. 

Deissmann, A. St. Paul. New York, Geo. H. Doran Co., 
1912. 

Jones, Rufus. St. Paul the Hero. New York, Macmillan, 
1917. 

Mathews, Basil. Paul the Dauntless. New York, Toronto, 
London, Fleming H. Revell Co., 1916. 

Ramsay, Wm, Mitchell. St. Paul, the Traveler and Roman 
Citizen. New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1898. 

Robinson, Benj. Willard. The Life of St. Paul. Univer- 
sity of Chicago Press, 1918. 

Smith, David. Life and Letters of St. Paul. New York, 
Geo. H. Doran Co., 1919. 

Wood, Eleanor (Whitman). Life and Ministry of Paul 
the Apostle. Boston, The Pilgrim Press, 1912. 

The Founding of the Churches 
Brent, Chas. Henry. Adventure for Cod. New York, 

Longmans Green & Co., 1905. 
Gilbert, George Holley. A Short History of Christianity 

in the Apostolic Age. University of Chicago Press, 

1906. 
Kent, Charles Foster. Work and Teachings of the Apos- 
tles. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1916. 
McGiffert, Arthur Cushman. A History of Christianity 

in the Apostolic Age. New York, Charles Scribner's 

Sons, 1916. 
Saunderson, H. H. The Work of the Apostles. Boston, 

Unitarian S. S. Soc, 1908. 
Scott, E. F. The Beginnings of the Church. New York, 

Charles Scribner's Sons, 1914. 
5 



Sullivan, Vm, Laurence. From the Gospels to the Creeds. 
Boston, The Beacon Press, 1919. 

Illustrative Helps 

Abbott, Edwin A. Onesimus. Boston, Little, Brown & 
Co., 1882. 

Farrar, Canon F. W. Darkness and Dawn. New York, 
Longmans, Green & Co., 1892. 

Hichens, Robert S. The Holy Land. Illustrated by Jules 
Guerin, and with photographs. New York, Cen- 
tury Co., 1910. 

Kaleel, Mousa J: When I Was a Boy in Palestine. Bos- 
ton, Lee and Shepard, 1908. 

Margoliouth, David Samuel. Cairo, Jerusalem, and Damas- 
cus, with illustrations in color by W. W. S. Tyr- 
whitt. New York, Dodd Mead and Co., 1907. 

Myers, F. W. H. St. Paul (poem). New York, Mac- 
millan — various editions. 

Rihbany, A. M. A Far Journey. Boston, Houghton Mif- 
flin Company, 1914. 

Rihbany, A. M. The Syrian Christ. Boston, Houghton 
Mifflin Co., 1916. 

Van Dyke, Henry. Out of Doors in the Holy Land. New 
York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1908. 

Wright, Wm. Burnet. Cities of Paul. Boston, Houghton 
Mifflin Company, 1905. 

Reference Books 

Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition. Special ar- 
ticles frequently referred to in the lessons. 

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible. New York, Charles 
Scribner's Sons. 

Hastings' Dictionary of the Apostolic Church. New York, 
Charles Scribner's Sons. 

Walker, J. B. R. Comprehensive Concordance to the Holy 
Scriptures. Boston, The Pilgrim Press. 
6 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Editors' Preface 1 

Author's Foreword 3 

Books Which Teachers May Find Useful 5 

Rules the Teacher Made for Herself 9 

Chief Events of the Apostolic Age 14 

PART I 

PETER AND SOME OTHER APOSTLES 
lesson 

I. Geography and Scope of the Apostolic Age . . 17 

II. Hope Dawns for the Bereaved Disciples ... 22 

III. Pentecost 27 

IV. The Beggar at the Beautiful Gate .... 32 
V. "All Things in Common" 41 

VI. The Martyrdom of Stephen 46 

VII. Simon the Sorcerer 52 

VIII. Philip and the Eunuch 59 

IX. Peter's Vision Upon the Housetop 65 

X. Peter Delivered from Prison 72 

PART II 

PAUL: BEGINNING TO BE A CHRISTIAN 

XL Boyhood of Paul 79 

XII. Conversion of Paul 85 

XIII* Paul Takes up His New Life 92 

XIV. About Gifts 102 

XV. The Gift of Prophecy 107 

7 



8 



XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 



XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

XXXII. 



XXXIII. 

XXXIV. 

XXXV. 

XXXVI. 

XXXVII. 



CONTENTS 

PART III 
PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

PAGE 

The Call to Service 115 

Journeys ''Under Marching Orders" .... 122 

Acclaim and Persecution 130 

WteAT Came of It 135 

Women Who Befriended Paul . . . . . . 140 

Paul's Liberal Mind 146 

Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles . . . - . .154 

"All Things to All Men" 160 

"Call to Remembrance the Former Days" . .166 

PART IV 
"IN PERILS OFT" 

The Earthquake 177 

Paul, the Public Speaker ,., ,. 182 

In Chains at Jerusalem 193 

The Shipwreck 200 

A Prisoner in His Hired House 210 

Paul's Idea of the Resurrection 218 

Paul's Character 227 

"Whatsoever Things Are True" 236 

PART V 
SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

"Use Hospitality One to Another" .... 243 

Works and Faith 253 

Love Without Hypocrisy 260 

Death of Peter and Paul 268 

The Christian Church 64-100 a.d. and Later . 276 



RULES THE TEACHER MADE FOR HERSELF 

Being convinced that people grow up "in spots," 
and that the spots are never the same in any two 
individuals, the first rule made was to assume that 
teacher and pupils were of the same intellectual age, 
studying the lesson together. The answer of a 
clever Southern mother when complimented on the 
delightful manners of her fifteen-year old son at a 
tea party, furnished the text : " 0, he is charmed at 
being treated like a grown man. We always hid the 
candy when he came into the room. You are 
passing it to him ! 9 f 

Rule number one, therefore, was : Treat the class 
as mental equals. Always pass the sweets instead 
of hiding them. If »an allusion missed fire, or it was 
evident that it had not been understood, a word of 
explanation was added; but the class was given the 
benefit of the doubt. An occasional opportunity for 
instruction may have been lost ; but it was more than 
balanced by quickened interest and the effort of the 
entire class to live up to the intellectual standard 
required of it. 

Rule number two was: Make each pupil feel the 
importance of regular attendance. To this end, no 
textbook other than the Bible is provided for the 
class. This manual is for the teacher. The idea is 

9 



10 BULES THE TEACHER MADE 

to portion out the lesson in such a way that each 
pupil brings to class something the others have not, 
thus adding an essential bit to the whole. 

Loose-leaf notebooks of rather large size are sug- 
gested as a way of garnering these bits and making 
a permanent record. 

Though the course must necessarily be considered 
as a whole and its general sequence should remain 
unchanged, some temporary or local happening may 
make it advisable to take a lesson out of the pre- 
scribed order. For instance : while she was conduct- 
ing another course a few years ago, the problem of 
how to present the story of Christ stilling the waves 
caused the teacher no little trepidation in advance. 
A strong three-days' gale, plus a newspaper para- 
graph, read almost at the moment of starting for 
Sunday school, settled the matter. The paragraph 
stated that a certain estuary of the lower Potomac 
was behaving very much as the Red Sea behaved in 
Pharaoh's day. The lesson already prepared was 
temporarily thrust aside; a hasty glance through 
the Old Testament showed what a dramatic part 
wind had played in the lives of a nomadic people, 
and all led up to the trust and serenity displayed by 
Jesus when his terrified companions awoke him. 
The newspaper paragraph made a very convincing 
link between Bible times and our own day ; and the 
problem of getting all the pupils to take part was 
solved by having them read in turn the dramatic 
Old Testament incidents alluded to above. 

In short, instructing a class is very like making a 



RULES THE TEACHER MADE 11 

water-color sketch. Unforeseen accidents are sure 
to happen. It is up to the teacher to take advantage 
of these, and make good use of them. 

There is another way in which the rules of the 
graphic arts are helpful in this adventure of 
instructing a class. Not only is it necessary to keep 
the sequence of the whole course in mind, with its 
historical setting, its introduction, its climax, and its 
conclusion ; each lesson in itself should be regarded 
as a similar unit, though forming part of the greater 
whole. Every successful picture has its centre of 
interest toward which the eye is inevitably though 
often insensibly led. In like manner, each lesson, 
to " carry' ' well, must be built around one central 
idea which remains from the first clear and distinct 
in the mind of the teacher. 

A third rule, applicable alike to the making of 
pictures and to interesting minds old or young, wise 
or foolish, may be summed up in three words : Keep 
them guessing. To look at a whole roomful of 
pictures painted in the same key invites weariness. 
A whole book of short stories written in the same 
vein becomes tiresome. To conduct lessons in 
exactly the same way for thirty-seven consecutive 
Sundays would be little short of a crime. 

The suggestions given are based upon the as- 
sumption that the class consists of eight pupils, 
which may be considered an average number. If 
the class becomes larger, some of the questions may 
be given to two pupils, and a friendly rivalry thus 
fostered, to see which can bring in the better answer. 



12 EULES THE TEACHER MADE 

The outline for each lesson is given in merest 
skeleton, to be clothed and made alive by the teacher, 
with the help of the pupils themselves. 

As few or as many hours may be devoted to the 
work of preparation as other demands upon the time 
of the teacher permit. The more the better, and — 
we say it fearlessly though with reverence — the 
merrier. Since cheerfulness is one of the Christian 
virtues, smiles and laughter need not be banished 
from the classroom. 

If remembrance >of the class be carried perma- 
nently in a convenient mental niche, near at hand, 
but never obtrusively in the way, an astonishing 
number of incidents and bits of reading will be 
found to fit in with the needs of one lesson or 
another in the course of the year. Half a dozen 
large envelopes, suitably inscribed, into which such 
miscellaneous treasure-trove — references, quota- 
tions, notes to recall personal encounters or experi- 
ences, bits of poetry, pictures — may be thrust at the 
moment of discovery to wait " until called for," will 
appreciably reduce the labor of preparing the 
lessons. 

Obviously it is a great thing to become acquainted 
with the pupils ; and if the teacher can afford time 
for outside meetings with the class, such events will 
be found mutually helpful. The writer has person- 
ally solved the problem by setting aside the first 
Saturday afternoon in each month for a class party. 
Sometimes the class meets at her home for a marsh- 
mallow roast, or to prepare for some church fes- 



EULES THE TEACHER MADE 13 

tivity. Sometimes all foregather at a museum or 
similar place of interest, and after a prowl among 
its treasures adjourn to a convenient spot for 
"tea," which is usually spelled i-c-e c-r-e-a-m on the 
order blank, the guests being young and fond of 
sweets. The danger is that such parties may be- 
come a tax upon the purse, since the temptation is 
ever present to do "nice" things. The subjugation 
of this des're is not a bad moral exercise for the 
teacher. As for the young people, bless them, 
ingenuity and good fellowship have a value in their 
eyes far above cash. 

"While the object of such parties is purely social, 
some of the most successful have proved helpful in 
the lessons also. One, deliberately arranged for 
that purpose early in the season in which this course 
of lessons was given, was devoted to reading aloud 
the greater part of Bulwer's Last Days of Pompeii, 
condensed and arranged beforehand. Only one 
member of the class was familiar with it, and it 
thrilled all, as romantic tales thrill at that age, while 
it depicted in masterly fashion the region and period 
and kind of life into which Paul, the chief hero of 
the winter's study, was time and again to penetrate. 
More than once a reference to some description or 
incident in the story called up a mental picture 
which rendered unnecessary ten minutes of expla- 
nation. And minutes are so few, in the lesson 
periods, for all we want to crowd into them ! 



14 CHIEF EVENTS OF APOSTOLIC AGE 



CHIEF EVENTS OF THE APOSTOLIC AGE 

(Taken from A Short History of Christianity in 
the Apostolic Age by George Holley Gilbert.) 

27 or 30 a. d. Death of Jesus. Pentecost 
32 a. d. Conversion of Paul 
32-35 a. d. Paul in Arabia and Damascus 
35-44 a. d. Paul in Syria and Cilicia 
44 a. d. Planting of the church in Antioch 
45-47 a. d. Paul's first missionary journey 
48 a. d. The conference at Jerusalem 
49-51 a. d. Paul's second missionary journey 
52-56 a. d. Paul's third missionary journey 
56-58 a. d. Paul's two years' imprisonment in 

Caesarea 
58-59 a. d. Paul's voyage to Rome 
59-61 a. d. Paul's two years' imprisonment in 

Rome 
64 a. d. Death of Paul 

The death of Peter probably occurred 

about this time. 

70 a. d. Destruction of Jerusalem 

64-100 a. d. A period of relative obscurity. The 

gospels, Revelation, and several 

New Testament letters were written ; 

but of external events little is known. 



PAETI 
PETER AND SOME OTHER APOSTLES 



LESSON I 

GEOGRAPHY AND SCOPE OF THE 
APOSTOLIC AGE 

(Acts 1:1-14) 

The first two or three Sundays must necessarily 
be devoted to getting acquainted, and to settling 
down to work. The first lesson period cannot be 
put to better use than in showing the pupils, with the 
aid of a map and our table of contents, just what 
the winter's course of study proposes to cover. 

Lay stress on the romance of this first century of 
the Christian era, a time of brave men and savage 
deeds. 

Compare the tiny territory of Palestine with the 
extent of the then known world. Eecall how 
Palestine was a subject province of powerful and 
mighty Rome ; and how, in Palestine, the Christians 
were only a small, weak and despised handful of 
people whose leader had been executed as a common 
criminal. Yet, in a few short years — half a lifetime 
if we use the Psalmist's measure of three-score 
years and ten — the truths Jesus taught were heard 
on practically all the shores of the Mediterranean, 
which was a much larger proportion of "the 
world' * then than now. 

17 



18 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

We are to study the way in which this came about. 
It makes a wonderful continued story full of thrill- 
ing adventure. Peter is the hero of the first part of 
the tale : Paul of the second part. 

The hints which follow show the wide range of 
fact and legend from which we may choose in 
presenting our hasty survey of a field thirty-five 
years long and two thousand miles broad. Any 
good encyclopaedia or "golden treasury" can extend 
it indefinitely. School work in Latin and history 
has already given these young people a wholesome 
conception of the power of Rome and the culture 
that came from Greece. It would be neglecting 
opportunity if we failed to call these to our aid. 
We should dwell even more upon the picturesque, 
courageous lives of these men who followed the 
dictates of their conscience, regardless of Con- 
vention, or Power, or half a dozen other, worldly 
dragons whose names are spelled with capital 
letters, — and who "won out," with the help of God, 
against amazing odds. 

The winter's work should be presented as the 
study of a great and romantic adventure. 

SUGGESTIONS 

The Ministry of Jesus was limited to an area 100 
miles north and south by 50 east and west. It was 
limited in time to two or three years at most. 

The Ministry of the Apostles covered an area 
2000 miles east and west by 700 north and south, and 



GEOGRAPHY AND SCOPE 19 

occupied a little more than thirty years; approxi- 
mately the length of Christ's whole life. 

It moved along the Mediterranean coast north 
toward Antioch, west and northwest to Troas and 
Philippi, and south to Corinth. That of which we 
have record is confined chiefly to four large cities: 
Ephesus, Corinth, Jerusalem, and Antioch on the 
River Orontes. (Antioch was a common name for 
towns of Greek origin. There were five in Syria 
alone.) Record has also come down to us of the 
work in seven lesser cities of which four were in 
Asia Minor. These were Antioch in Pisidia, 
Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. The other three were 
in Greece: Philippi, Thessalonica, and Beroea. 
From these spots Christianity spread into the sur- 
rounding regions. (Acts 14: 6-7 and 19: 10) 

Chkist's Disciples. Very little is known about 
their after history. The Bible does not even 
mention the greater part of them again. It tells us 
much about Peter, the mos»t famous of them all, but 
the New Testament contains no record of his death. 
Nor indeed does it contain a syllable about the death 
of Paul. Tradition places both these events in the 
time of the persecution of the Christians under 
Nero, 64-67 a. d. Tradition puts the death of John 
later, under Trajan; he probably died under Nero 
or soon after. 

Asia was at that time the name of a compara- 
tively small territory, the first Roman province east 
of the ^Egean Sea. It had been left to Rome by the 
will of Attalus Third in 133 b. c. 



20 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

Antioch. From its epithet ' i the Golden" we may 
infer that it was a wonderful and wealthy city, It 
considered itself the rival of Alexandria. West of 
it lay the far-famed sacred grove of Daphne. It was 
at Antioch that the name Christian first came into 
use. 

Crete. An island of snow-covered mountains, 
orange trees, caves, and deep ravines. Fabled home 
of the Minotaur, which fed on a yearly tribute of 
youths and maidens from Athens. Crete also was 
the reputed birthplace of Zeus. The island's free- 
dom from venomous serpents was "a privilege popu- 
larly ascribed to the intercession of Titus, com- 
panion of Paul." Geographically, Crete has been 
called the "natural stepping-stone between Greece 
and Egypt." 

Cyprus. Rich in copper and silver. Was 
coveted for that reason, and calmly annexed by 
Rome, on the pretence that its ruler connived at 
piracy. 

Courage of the Apostles. Note the splendid 
courage of the men who carried the gospel of Jesus 
into strange lands. In a way it requires more 
courage to be an apostle than the founder of a new 
faith. 

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION 

Do hazards and handicaps add zest to an under- 
taking? 

Conviction that one is right as a spur to effort. 



GEOGRAPHY AND SCOPE 21 

LESSON MOTTO 

" Never knew I so high adventure' ' 
-From introduction to King Arthur's Adventure. 



LESSON II 

HOPE DAWNS FOE THE BEEEAVED 
DISCIPLES 

(Acts 1:15-26) 

The opening chapter of this marvelous continued 
story is one of sorrow, written in a minor key, 
which changes even while we watch and listen. 

Christ had been crucified between thieves, the 
throng jeering, the Eoman soldiers on guard at the 
place of execution mocking him, a little knot of 
stricken women watching afar off. His faithful 
friends were denied even the comfort of performing 
the last sad offices for the dead. (Ask the members 
of the class to imagine themselves present on that 
dreadful day. "You as So-and-so, you as This-one, 
you, a little lame boy Christ had helped." It will 
not require all the amplifications of the picture 
developed by later story-tellers to make the class 
realize the sadness and despair which shut down 
upon the disciples.) There seemed to be absolutely 
nothing left of a beautiful friendship and a 
wonderful hope, except sorrow and broken 
promises. 

The small band of followers returned to their 
homes and took up their old tasks, trying to fill their 

22 



HOPE DAWNS FOR THE DISCIPLES 23 

days and nights as they had been filled before Jesus 
came into their lives. Soon they found this to be 
impossible. They were reminded of him at every 
turn. They seemed to see him in the places where 
he had taught. The homely articles he had 
immortalized in story and parable spoke of him. 
Even the prosaic act of taking food to sustain life 
had gained now dignity and sanctity through the 
use he made of it. They began to realize that one 
so constantly with them could not be dead. Some 
were even persuaded that they saw him with their 
bodily eyes and heard his voice, receiving new com- 
mands from him. Let us refresh our memory by 
turning to the last chapters of Luke and John. 
(The class may be called upon to read aloud the 
different instances recorded in Luke 24: 13-51 and 
in John 20 : 19-29 and 21 : 1-4.) 

What the friends and disciples of Jesus really saw 
with their bodily eyes is of little moment. They had 
learned the great spiritual truth that he was as 
much alive as he had ever been: that death, which 
had claimed his body, had not touched him. As 
Peter said, (Acts 2 : 24) "It was not possible that he 
should be holden of it." 

Much comforted, they reasoned that since he was 
not dead, it behooved his disciples to act as though 
he were still with them, and to do everything in their 
power to carry out his wishes. By talking and 
praying together the little band in Jerusalem gained 
renewed confidence ; and Peter, practical and impul- 
sive, suggested that they strengthen and perfect 



24 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

their organization by choosing a new apostle to 
fill the place made vacant by Judas. He was per- 
suaded that if they did this and waited trustfully 
for guidance their next step would be made plain 
to them. (Read in class Acts 1:15-26.) Choice 
was made by the good old-fashioned Jewish method 
of casting lots, after asking God to indicate his will. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Choice of Matthias. G. H. Gilbert says, "This 
act showed that the bereaved disciples had regained 
their presence of mind, and realized they had a mis- 
sion to perform." 

Both Matthias and Joseph Justus had been mem- 
bers of the band that companied with Jesus and his 
Twelve during his lifetime. Though neither of 
them has been mentioned by name in the Bible be- 
fore, it is evident both were men of tried worth. 
Late and wholly fabulous tradition ascribes the au- 
thorship of several books to Matthias, and places the 
scene of his activity in "the city of Cannibals" in 
Ethiopia, Clement of Alexandria quotes two say- 
ings from the books ascribed to him. The first, 
"Wonder at all things before you," suggests not 
only that wonder is the first step toward acquiring 
knowledge, but that the author had the trustful, lov- 
ing, interested mind of "a little child" that Jesus 
so highly commended. The other saying, "If an 
elect man's neighbor sin, the elect man has sinned," 
is very modern in its recognition of personal and 



HOPE DAWNS FOR THE DISCIPLES 25 

civic responsibility. One might imagine it a new 
utterance, printed in one of the journals devoted to 
social work. 

Photogkaphs of famous old pictures of the cruci- 
fixion, the entombment, the miraculous draught of 
fishes, etc., may be shown in class; and if practic- 
able, smaller copies obtained for pasting in the 
notebooks. The great libraries have fine collections 
of large photographs, which may be borrowed, just 
as books are, to be shown on a given day. 

A modern pen-picture of the old subject may be 
found in Josephine Preston Peabody's poem, The 
Fishers. It opens with a description of the night of 
fruitless toil; 

"Yea, we have toiled all night. All night 

We kept the boats, we cast the nets. 
Nothing avails; the tides withhold, 

The sea hears not — and God forgets." 

The speaker is one of the fishers, who does not at 
first recognize the one who questions him; who in- 
deed resents his interference; and burst out: 

"Thou Wanderer from land to land, 

Say who Thou art to bid us strive 
Once more against the eternal sea, 

That loves to take strong men alive. 

Lo, we stand fast, and we endure, 

But trust not Thou the sea we know — 

Mighty of bounty and of hate — 

Slayer and friend, with ebb and flow. 



26 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

Thou hast not measured strength as we 

Sea-faring men that toil and yet — 

Once more — once more — at Thy strange word — 
Master, we will let down the net ! ' ' 

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION 

Influence of the absent. A mother's influence 
does not cease when she leaves the room. 

Eecall the scene in The Bluebird when the dead 
awake and live again as often as the living think of 
them. 

Responsibility for our neighbors. 

LESSON MOTTO 

1 i There are no dead ! ' ' 

— Maeterlinck, The Bluebird. 



LESSON III 

PENTECOST 
(Acts 2:1-42) 

Open the lesson with an account of the three great 
Jewish feasts, Passover, Pentecost, and Taber- 
nacles, at which every man of the nation was ex- 
pected to appear before the Lord with thanksgiving 
and not to come empty-handed. 

Jesus had observed every ordinance of the Jewish 
religion, and had gone to his death rather than 
absent himself from Jerusalem at the time of the 
Passover. He never tried to found a new religion ; 
what he wished to do was to simplify and make 
beautiful the old one. His followers considered 
themselves good Jews ; so, when the feast of Pente- 
cost, or First Fruits, came round, fifty days after 
his death, all who were within reach gathered at 
Jerusalem for the festival, as good Jews should. 
While it was doubtless hard for some of them to 
revisit the scene of Christ's triad, so soon, it was 
made very much easier by the assurance they had 
received that his spirit was still alive and potent. 
Luke tells us (24:53) that they were "continually 
in the temple, praising and blessing Grod." They 

also had private gatherings for prayer. The former 

27 



28 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

was the act of devout Jews. In the latter and more 
intimate way, they met as followers of Jesus. 

It is easy to imagine the company, simple, 
earnest, and devout,— and expectant. In choosing 
Matthias to be one of the apostles, and in com- 
forting and encouraging each other they had done all 
they could do by themselves ; now they were waiting 
for direction as to what to do next. Acts 1 : 15 gives 
the number of people thus gathered as a hundred 
and twenty. 

Good old Isaac Watts wrote that "Satan finds 
some mischief still for idle hands to do." There is 
a good deal of truth in it ; but it is quite as true that 
God will supply work for hands eager and waiting to 
take it up. 

To this day the Catholic and Episcopal churches 
celebrate, fifty days after Easter, a festival which 
they call Whitsunday. It is the season for baptism, 
for white dresses, signifying purity; and in Catholic 
churches, particularly in Europe, for quaint 
mediaeval customs, such as letting down a dove, or 
balls of fire, or a shower of rose leaves in front of 
the altar. These are all very childish things in 
themselves, but are beautiful and poetic when used 
as symbols of the wonderful thing which happened. 

What did happen? Let us read Acts 2:1-42, 
picturing in our minds the devout, expectant band. 

No wonder that after this whirlwind revelation of 
enthusiasm and latent power, Peter jumped to his 
feet and made his great speech, as a result of which 



PENTECOST 29 

a large number (Acts says about three thousand) of 
those who heard him were baptized. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Passover was held in the early spring. It com- 
memorated the escape of the Israelites from Egypt. 

Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks came seven 
weeks or fifty days later. It also commemorated the 
escape from Egypt ; and in addition was supposed to 
be held on the anniversary of the day upon which 
Moses received the tablets of the Law; but its main 
significance was as a feast of first fruits, coming 
when the first corn was ready for the sickle. 

Tabernacles, the third great Jewish festival, held 
under tents or green arbors, to commemorate the 
forty years' wandering in the wilderness, was cele- 
brated as is our Thanksgiving, after the harvest had 
been safely garnered. 

Christ 's Death had occurred at the time of the 
first festival. This manifestation came at the 
second. Do not overlook the beauty and symbolism 
of this. Quote Paul (1 Cor. 15: 20) that Christ be- 
came the first fruits of them that slept. 

Tongues of Flame. If the literal-minded in the 
class are disturbed by this, it is a good place to 
sound the note which must be struck again and 
again : that the Bible is the literature of an Eastern 
race given to poetic imagery of expression; and to 
point out that we, ourselves, practical as we are, can 



30 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

only express mental or spiritual experiences by 
using words whose literal meaning is very different. 
For example, we assert that something "opened 
our eyes" yet nobody for a moment thinks that we 
had been running around before that with our 
physical eyes closed. 

Speaking with Tongues will have to be dealt 
with, but should not be dwelt upon. Let it be re- 
served and treated more at length in Lesson 14. 
Possibly the best application and explanation in a 
few words is to call to mind the quickening power of 
enthusiasm which we have all observed and felt. 
We see and hear an animated person full of his 
subject. He may be a foreigner, speaking in his 
native tongue, but his enthusiasm and kindling eye, 
and the glow upon his face, make us feel that we 
fully understand him despite the barrier of lan- 
guage, though we comprehend his words very im- 
perfectly. 

SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION 

Modern Instances of Such Quickening Power. 
One of the most striking is Lincoln's famous "Lost 
Speech' ' delivered at Bloomington, 111., in 1856, 
before a convention called to organize a new political 
party opposed to slavery. Many speeches had been 
made before he rose. He stood a moment silent, a 
curious introspective look in his eyes ; then he began 
to speak, slowly, almost hesitatingly at first, in a 
voice somewhat shrill. Soon however his words 



PENTECOST 31 

began to flow steadily and smoothly on. His tones 
came under perfect control. His eyes flashed and 
glowed. With his head thrown back, his great 
frame towering to its full height, his face, full of 
emotion, illumined as though by a lamp from within, 
he looked like a man inspired. And like a man 
inspired he carried his audience with him as he 
denounced the evil they had to fight, ending in an 
impassioned appeal to all who loved justice to 

1 1 Come as the winds come when forests are rended, 
Come as the waves come when navies are stranded" 

and unite to put down this great wrong. 

It was Lincoln's touch of pentecostal flame. Be- 
fore that day he had held honorable place in his 
party. After it, he was the destined leader of a 
great nation, the liberator of an oppressed race. 

This thing happened in our own country, within 
memory of men still alive. Remembering it, we feel 
very near to the gathering in Jerusalem, and very 
sure that God still works his miracles, using for 
them earnest men and women who desire to do his 
will. 

LESSON MOTTO 
"Priests, by the imposition of a mightier hand." 

— Macaulay. 



LESSON IV 

THE BEGGAR AT THE BEAUTIFUL GATE 
(Acts 3:1-11) 

Soon the Apostles had proof that the power which 
came upon them on the day of Pentecost was no 
mere evanescent enthusiasm, but a very real and 
holy thing. 

Use as the lesson the third chapter of Acts and so 
much of the fourth chapter as is necessary to make 
the picture complete; for example, verse 22. 
Devote most of the time to Acts 3 : 1-11, but dwell at 
the end upon Peter's quick wit in seeing and seizing 
upon this as the psychological moment for another 
sermon; upon his kindly way of interpreting the 
events which led up to Christ's death (Acts 3: 17) 
and to the fearlessness of the answer he and John 
made when the authorities forbade them to teach in 
the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:18-20) 

What the writer meant by "this miracle of 
healing" (Acts 4:22) deserves consideration here, 
and also what the class members might mean if they 
used the word. Do they think the writer meant that 
some unusual power was given to Peter and John? 
Where did that power come from? Does anything 

32 



BEGGAR AT BEAUTIFUL GATE 33 

like this seem to happen now? Is the difference 
really in what happens, or in the way people think 
and talk about events? 

Perhaps it will be easier to understand our Bible, 
if we learn to wonder more over great achievements 
in our own time. A thousand cripples are healed 
today where one was then, and we almost forget to 
be surprised that the skill of man may learn and 
apply the laws of God in so wonderful a way. 

The temple, in which the scene of this lesson is set, 
was the center of the community life as well as the 
religious life of the city of Jerusalem. Set on a high 
hill, it looked from the city streets "like a mountain 
covered with snow." At one end of the great Court 
of the Gentiles was the Royal Porch, a broad covered 
arcade with columns; at right angles to it was 
Solomon's Porch, almost a thousand feet long, 
where the learned rabbis used to meet their pupils 
for lectures and instruction. Inside this great 
enclosure was the temple proper, rising in steps and 
marble terraces. The balcony had carved upon its 
low wall notices in Greek warning Gentiles to go no 
farther on pain of death. The Women's Court 
came next; and beyond, up fifteen steps, the Inner 
Court for the men of Israel. Beyond that again, 
still higher, was the part of the temple reserved for 
the priests alone. 

The light, striking upon the gilded porch, 
"dazzled like the sun's own rays." The gates, 
covered with precious metal, were offerings made by 
rich and grateful individuals, just as stained glass 



34 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

windows are in onr own churches. The gate 
called Beautiful was of Corinthian brass, the gift of 
a certain Nicanor. The Jews had a passionate 
affection for this wonderful temple, and believed 
that nowhere else could God be worshiped so 
acceptably. Beggars lay near the gates, hoping 
for alms from those who went in and out; and in 
certain parts of the enclosure merchants had 
established themselves to sell the articles used in 
sacrifice.. The Beautiful Gate, at the entrance to 
the Court of the Men of Israel, is the setting for the 
incident chosen for this lesson. 

SUGGESTIONS 

The Temple at Jerusalem. To make the setting 
of the lesson seem real begin with a description of 
the temple, with its plan before you, and also a map 
of Jerusalem to show its relation to the city, and its 
position upon a height. There is an outline map in 
the Encyclopedia Britannica which can easily be 
traced, the hills and depressions indicated by a bit 
of shading, and made to serve very well. Possibly 
one of the pupils can bring this map as his or her 
contribution to the lesson. Go into considerable 
detail about the temple, its size, location, and 
appearance. 

As the temple was described in the lessons of the 
preceding year on the life of Jesus, and a plan of it 
made part of the notebook work, it will be well to 
test the knowledge of the class about it. Try to see, 



BEGGAR AT BEAUTIFUL GATE 35 

yourself, and help them to see, this temple in a vivid 
mental picture. 

Peter. After the description of the temple, and 
reading the first verse of Acts 3, give a short 
character sketch of Peter, now the leader of the 
Apostles. His warm, impulsive nature; seeming 
inspired at times, then again blundering and sinning 
like a little child, but always, like a child, pulling 
himself up after one of these tumbles to press on 
and try again. 

Go on with the rest of the story, having the pupils 
read the verses. 

What Peter Did was to instill courage, to awaken 
in the beggar the joy of living. In doing that he 
doubtless received strength himself to meet the 
crisis of the riot and disturbance which seemed to 
be his only immediate reward for his act of healing. 

The Sequel to the Story. Teacher should read 
and have fresh in mind Acts 4 : 1-31 and Acts 5 : 12- 
42. 

Peter's Sermon. Charles Poster Kent, in Work 
and Teaching of the Apostles, pp. 34-35, shows the 
great importance of this sermon in the work of 
spreading Christianity. 

Cubit. In talking about the temple very likely 
this measure will come up. Some mathematical 
enthusiast may insist on knowing how long it was. 
It appears to have been a common unit of measure- 
ment among ancient peoples, but one which varied 
with the time and locality by as much as a hand's 
breadth. The temple of Herod appears to have 



36 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

been built by the newer scale which was adopted by 
the Jews to conform to Roman measurements. 
This was about 18 inches long, — 17.4 inches to be 
exact. 

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION 

Instilling courage. 

How to awaken in a cripple (not necessarily a 
physical cripple) the joy of living. 

Receiving life and strength "more abundantly. ■ ' 

TO BE MEMORIZED 

Peter's answer to the lame beggar. Acts 3 : 6. 

LESSON MOTTO 
"Life .... more abundantly." John 10:10. 



PLANS FOR FUTURE LESSONS 

By this time it may not be amiss to suggest that 
the teacher has been doing too much of the talking 
and to propose that each member of the class con- 
duct the lesson in turn, the subject being assigned a 
week in advance. If this is done, assurance should 
be given by the teacher that the students are to be 
allowed carte blanche in the method of presentation, 
but that the teacher will " stand by," and if desired 
give help and advice in the preparation. 

If there happens to be any feeling of latent criti- 
cism, this offers a perfectly legitimate and friendly 
outlet for " self-expression," a disease of youth with 
which some of the class may already be smitten. 

Even if the pupils have not yet reached that un- 
comfortable stage of growing up, they may be — 
doubtless should be — eager and curious to try ex- 
periments and do things themselves. Those who 
demur will be the shy and backward ones who will 
profit by being urged to make the effort. 

At any rate the experiment can do no harm. As 
tried by the author it distinctly stimulated interest 
in the class. A. was anxious to see how B. would do 
it; and C. took mental notes, rejoicing that they 
need not be put immediately into practice. 

At times it was a little trying to the teacher to 
remain silent while some good point was slurred 
over or missed entirely; but the student presen- 

37 



38 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

tation was &oon over, as a rule, after which there 
was time to review and line up the things omitted. 
When a student came asking help in preparation the 
result was better acquaintance, and " team- work' ' 
helpful to both. 

Obviously, much depends upon the personnel of the 
class. With another group it might be better not to 
continue this plan through successive Sundays, but 
to reserve it for certain lessons particularly dramatic 
in character, and to assign these as they are reached, 
taking care that every student has a chance in the 
course of the year. 

In case this second course is followed, the problem 
of getting the students to do more of the talking may 
be solved by adopting at this time the plan which 
would naturally be followed later in case the 
students conduct the lesson on successive Sundays. 

The second plan we called : 

Making a Mosaic of the Lesson 

Assuming that the class has been conducted by the 
pupils in turn, the teacher will very likely be asked 
whether the same plan is to be followed for another 
round. 

Since the novelty has worn off, it is well to answer 
"No." But all have had a taste of doing the talking 
themselves, and will hardly care to retreat again 
into the role of mere listeners. Certainly the 
teacher does not wish them to do so. 

So the difficulty is surmounted by making a mosaic 



PLANS FOE FUTURE LESSONS 39 

of the lesson. It is prepared a week in advance by 
the teacher, who cuts into strips, each containing one 
question, the sheet on which the eight questions for 
the succeeding lesson are printed. In this Manual 
a number in black-faced type indicates where each 
question is to be considered, and warns the teacher 
to draw out this information from the pupil who has 
the question bearing that number. 

The numbered slips are distributed by chance; 
rather ostentatiously by chance. When time for the 
lesson comes, the teacher begins and carries it on 
until Number One is reached. Here the member of 
the class who has drawn question Number One is 
called upon to take up the story. If it seems 
necessary to do so, the teacher supplements, then 
continues until Number Two is reached, and so on. 

In this way each student brings something 
individually his own to the class, and in addition to 
natural curiosity to find out how that particular bit 
fits into the mosaic, a feeling of responsibility is 
fostered, which is not without its effect in keeping 
up regular attendance. 

In case a pupil is absent, this plan offers a 
perfectly natural excuse for a note from the teacher, 
enclosing the slip for the following Sunday and 
showing that the absence has been commented upon. 

The questions will, of course, be varied at the 
discretion of the teacher. Those given with the suc- 
ceeding lessons are simply " samples" which have 
been used. They are intentionally made easy in the 
belief that it is not good policy or indeed right to 



40 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

require too much effort on the part of high-school 
students who are busy with their books all the week. 
They do the best they can, and are likely to come 
to class so bubbling with a desire to tell what they 
have found out that it is difficult to keep back the 
information until that part of the lesson is reached 
where it will prove most effective. 



LESSON V 

"ALL THINGS IN COMMON" 
(Acts 5:1-11; 6:1-7) 

Success brings its own problems and temptations. 
The number of converts grew; but the difficulty of 
ministering to their needs increased also. Most of 
them were so very poor that the problem of feeding 
them became a serious matter. Also, as numbers 
increased, it became more difficult to control the 
baser passions of human nature, which had been 
temporarily stilled, but by no means banished, when 
the converts turned Christian. 

Before considering the way the early group of 
disciples lived by sharing their possessions, it may 
be well to recall how Jesus and his little band of 
followers managed their affairs. (l)Some light on 
this is given in such passages as Mark 6 : 8, Luke 
8:1-3; 9:3. 

(2) Use Acts 4:32-35 to show how these people 
tried to live literally as Christ and his small band 
had lived. Acts 4 : 36-37 gives the story of Barna- 
bas selling his field ; and Acts 5 : 1-11, the story of 
Ananias and Sapphira. 

Soon Peter and the other leaders found that they 
had not time to attend to the physical in addition to 
the spiritual welfare of these people. The hours 

41 



42 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

were not long enough to listen to complaints that 
were made against one person or another by those 
who felt they were not being treated fairly in the 
distribution of goods or in the portions of food 
which were served out to them at the common table. 
So the leaders called together the whole body of 
believers and bade them choose seven men to con- 
cern themselves with the temporal affairs of the 
church. (3) (Acts 6:1-7) After these deacons 
(as they were later called) were appointed, things 
went more smoothly for a time. They called on 
others to assist them when further help became 
necessary, and found that women could be most 
useful in such ways, particularly the childless 
widows, who at that time were looked upon with 
scorn if not actually despised, and were treated with 
little respect. To such women the new sect of Christ- 
ians proved a veritable haven of refuge. Here 
they found friendship, and, better still, work to do. 
As a French writer has said: "They could bind 
black shawls about their heads and become women 
of influence, useful, and loved like mothers.' r 

But willing hands were not enough. Money was 
needed in those days to buy the necessaries of life, 
just as it is now. Some of the richer converts were 
moved to donate all their wealth toward a fund to 
defray current expenses. (4) Use Story of Barna- 
bas here. (Acts 4:36-37) (5) Probably only a 
few did this. (6) If it had been a common prac- 
tice, the gift made by Barnabas would not have been 
recorded in such detail, nor would it have moved 



"ALL THINGS IN COMMON" 43 

Ananias and Sapphira to act as they did. (7) 
Read Acts 6 : 1-11, and (8) consider in what their 
sin consisted. 



SUGGESTIONS 

Ananias and Sapphira. Envious of the praise 
Barnabas received, they wished to emulate him, but 
when the actual test came, greed made it impossible 
for them to give up their property. So they tried 
to cheat God and their neighbors. In homely 
phrase they wanted to eat their cake and have it 
too, — an experiment which never succeeds. Had 
they given the portion of their goods frankly as a 
portion, no fault could have been found with them. 

The Bible narrative is so condensed that it is by 
no means certain retribution followed so swiftly as 
at first appears. Nor does it matter. The story is 
perfect in its way, and by much re-telling has crys- 
talized into a parable for and about evil-doers. 

Love of Money a Eoot of Evil. Money in it- 
self is entirely impersonal. You can buy food or 
medicine or poison with the same coin. " Money an- 
swereth all things." (Eccl. 10:19) Eefer to the 
story of Judas, who betrayed his Master for money. 
Old chronicles of explorations in Virginia have much 
to say about wampum, the money of the Indians. 
One of them describes this shell-currency as " Bau- 
bles of no worth, which yet occasion as much dis- 
sention among the Savages as gold and silver among 
the Christians." 



44 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

F. G. Peabody, in his Religious Education of an 
American Citizen, p. 97, tells about a passenger upon 
a steamboat which was wrecked. He was found 
later at the bottom of the sea, with a money-belt, 
heavy with gold, about his waist. "Now, as he 
was sinking, had he the gold, or had the gold 
him?" 

Christ 's Attitude Toward Money. "Show me 
the tribute money. " (Matt. 22:19) He always 
made it clear that the wonderful gift of eternal life 
was one which could be had "without money and 
without price. ' f 

Pictures. In the large collections of photographs 
before mentioned a few curious ones representing 
the story of Ananias and Sapphira may be found. 
Titian's "Tribute Money" is well worth using. 

SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION 

Noblesse oblige, — the law of liberty which Ananias 
and his wife did not fulfil. 

TO BE MEMORIZED 

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatso- 
ever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Gal. 
6:7. 

LESSON MOTTO 

"Let your turn of mind be free from the love of money.' - 

Heb. 13:5. 



"ALL THINGS IN COMMON" 45 

QUESTIONS, LESSON V 

1. 

Can you tell us how Jesus and his little band of personal 
followers managed their affairs. Like other people they 
had to live and to eat. You will find hints in Mark 6:8; 
Luke 8 : 1-3 ; 9 : 3. 

2. 

I shall ask you to read aloud in class Acts 4 : 32-35 to give 
us an idea of the way in which the early Christians tried 
to carry on their daily lives. 

3. 

Tell us why it was found necessary to choose deacons, and 
the way it was done. Acts 6 :l-7. 

4. 

Most of the early Christians were poor. Some of the 
wealthier ones gave money for the support of the rest. 
Read us about the gift made by Barnabas, Acts 4 : 36-37. 

5. 
Tell us what you can find out about Barnabas, who is 
mentioned in Acts 4 : 36-37. We may meet him again. 
Look in the encyclopedia. 

6. 
Read the story of Barnabas, Acts 4: 36-37, and tell us 
whether you think all the early Christians were as generous. 
If they had been, would this particular gift have been re- 
corded with such detail? 

7. 
Please read aloud in class the story of Ananias and Sap- 
phira. Acts 5 : 1-11. 

8. 
Tell us why you think Ananias and his wife, whose story 
is told in Acts 5 : 1-11, were so severely dealt with. Just 
what was their sin ? 



LESSON VI 

THE MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN 

(Acts 6: 7-15; 7: 57-60) 

The names of the seven deacons were Stephen, 
Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and 
Nicolas. Fortunately, we do not have to burden 
our minds by remembering all of them. But we 
must not forget the first two, Stephen and Philip, 
for these developed great gifts as preachers, bidding 
fair, as time went on, to eclipse even Peter himself. 
There was no jealousy, however, only a friendly 
division of labor. The men who could preach, 
preached, while others took up the task of looking 
after the welfare of the church in a physical way. 
So, a year or two went by. 

(1) Stephen, the most brilliant of them all, "a 
man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, ' ' (Acts 6:5) 
may have been of Greek origin. If so, he naturally 
preached to people of Greek birth or training. (2) 
(Eead Acts 6:8,10) But the things he said dis- 
pleased certain people who were looked upon in the 
community as most reputable citizens. (Read Acts 
6:9) (3) Very possibly he quoted that saying of 
Jesus recorded in Mark 13:2. "Seest thou these 
great buildings? There shall not be left one stone 

46 



THE MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN 47 

upon another that shall not be thrown down." To 
men who venerated the temple as these did, such a 
speech appeared little short of sacrilege. (4) 
Among the Jews who listened and resented his 
words was one very young but very earnest and very 
gifted rabbi named Saul of Tarsus, or Paul, to give 
his name the form by which we know it best. He had 
only lately come from home to study in Jerusalem, 
under a famous teacher named Gamaliel, but he had 
forged ahead so rapidly that he was already promi- 
nent in temple circles. He had no patience with the 
Christians, and we may be sure that he took full 
part in the denunciation of Stephen. (Read Acts 
6:11-15) 

Then, his face still shining with enthusiasm "as it 
had been the face of an angel," Stephen made a 
great speech, which is given at length in the seventh 
chapter of Acts. (5) To us it seems a strange sort 
of discourse, which rambles all through Jewish 
history; but to men of Hebrew training it was full 
of significance. They were used to this elaborate 
symbolic way of treating their national history. 
The main point for us lies in Stephen's assertion 
that in all the forty years of wandering in the 
wilderness his nation had no permanent temple, yet 
continued to worship and to find favor in the sight 
of God. (6) "Solomon built him a house" he said. 
"Howbeit, the Most High dwelleth not in temples 
made with hands. As saith the Prophet," he con- 
tinued, quoting the 66th chapter of Isaiah, ' ' Heaven 
is my throne and the earth is my footstool; what 



48 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

house will ye build me ... or what is the place of 
my rest? Hath not my hands made all these 
things?" 

Indignant Jewish theologians did not relish being 
refuted by the words of their own sacred writers, 
and Stephen was not allowed to finish. (7) "When 
he began to accuse them of persecuting the prophets, 
and of breaking the spirit of the law, his own doom 
was sealed. 

(8) End the lesson by having the pupils read Acts 
7: 54-60 and 8: 1-4. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Stephen was the First Christian martyr, Per- 
haps that is the reason his "day" in the saints ' cal- 
endar of the Catholic church is December 26, as near 
as possible to Christmas. 

The Greek Meaning of Stephen's Name is 
' ' crown. ' ' Do we not often hear about the martyr's 
crown? 

Stephen was not even Allowed to finish his 
speech, let alone continue the work of preaching, for 
which he seemed so exceptionally fitted. His death 
must have appeared to his sorrowing friends as a 
cruel blow to the church and a great waste of won- 
derful material. But some broken efforts are more 
fruitful because of the break, as fruit trees are 
pruned to bring forth more fruit. 

Lay Stress on Acts 8 : 4. The result of this per- 



THE MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN 49 

secution and of driving the Christians away from 
Jerusalem was to spread the new doctrines broad- 
cast, not to stamp them out. It was like trying to 
put out a camp-fire by throwing a big stone into its 
midst. That would simply scatter the brands and 
add to the number of sparks, each of which might 
kindle a new fire of its own. 

Make as Dramatic as possible the description of 
Stephen's glorified face, and the impression which 
this young martyr's appearance and brave bearing 
must have made upon Saul, another brave young 
man, as he stood by, not lifting a hand himself, but 
" consenting unto his death.' ' 

Be Careful to have it understood that this Saul is 
the Paul about whom we are to study. 

Draw a Parallel between the fearless, brilliant in- 
tellect of Stephen, and that of our own fiery Theo- 
dore Parker. 

SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION 

Stephen's conduct. There are two ways in which 
a Christian may conduct himself toward the world : 
run away from it, as the monks did in the Middle 
Ages, or accept it as the place for gallant endeavor. 
"If you are not master of your world, you are either 
a refugee, or a slave to it." F. G. Peabody, Reli- 
gious Education of an American Citizen. P. 166. 

LESSON" MOTTO 
"The only thing I am afraid of is Fear." 

—Montaigne. 



50 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

questions; lesson vi 

1. 

Tell us what you can find out about the character of Ste* 
phen, one of the deacons chosen, you remember, to look 
after the welfare of the church in Jerusalem. You can 
find out a great deal about him by reading carefully the 
6th and 7th chapters of Acts and still more by consulting a 
good encyclopaedia. 

2. 

I shall ask you to read in class Acts 6 : 8,10. Did you 
ever see a greater amount of character and history packed 
into thirty-one words ? 

3. 

Stephen, one of the deacons, developed great power as a 
preacher. But he aroused the enmity of certain Jews be- 
cause of the boldness of his utterances. It is thought he 
may have quoted the words of Jesus as given in Mark 13 
about the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem. Find 
these for us, please. 

4. 

Tell us what happened to Stephen after he had roused 
the enmity of a certain class of Jews. Was he treated 
fairly by his enemies ? Eead in class Acts 6 : 9, 11-15. 

5. 

What do you think of Stephen's sermon as given in the 
seventh chapter of Acts? Which seems to you the most 
important part of it ? 

6. 

See if you can find in Isaiah the passage quoted by Ste- 
phen in Acts 7 ; 49-50. The marginal reference will help. 



THE MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN 51 

7. 
We have had men of the same type of mind as Stephen in 
our own Unitarian Church. Tell us what you can find out 
about Theodore Parker. Look in the encyclopedia or a 
good biographical dictionary. 

8. 
Do you think Stephen's death described in the 6th and 
7th chapters of Acts and the first part of chapter 8 was a 
blessing in disguise? It resulted in driving most of the 
Christians away from Jerusalem for -a time. Just think 
what that means. 



LESSON VII 

SIMON THE SOECEBEE 
(Acts 8: 1-25) 

We must now go back a few months to the time 
when the Christians were beginning to attract un- 
favorable attention at Jerusalem. The wise old 
rabbi Gamaliel, who was the teacher of young Saul, 
was much more lenient toward them than was Saul 
himself. Gamaliel was a Pharisee, like the younger 
man ; he was beloved by everybody and known to be 
the soul of honor. Naturally broad-minded and 
courageous, he had lived long enough in the world 
to learn that the ways of God are not always the 
ways of men, even of devout men. He was willing 
to believe that God's love and grace might extend to 
the adherents of this hated new sect; so he dis- 
approved of hasty action against them. (1) He 
made a speech in behalf of the Apostles, in which 
he cited history, after the best Hebrew maner, to 
prove that God might be trusted to deal with such 
people himself, and that it was not necessary to put 
them to death. (Eead Acts 5 : 34-42) 

But, as we see in the last verse of this passage 
from Acts, the Christians paid small heed to warn- 
ings, and persisted in preaching and talking. Then 

52 



SIMON THE SORCERER 53 

came the riot which resulted in the death of Ste- 
phen, when the followers of Jesus were driven from 
Jerusalem. 

Philip, the other deacon who had developed such a 
gift of eloquence, escaped into Samaria. (2) He 
seems to have wandered from place to place for a 
time, and finally to have settled in Caesarea where 
he remained for many years. It is recorded that 
he entertained Paul at his home there when the lat- 
ter was on his way to Jerusalem. (Acts 21:8) 

(3) Samaria was the central one of the three dis- 
tricts into which Palestine was at that time divided. 

(4) Its inhabitants were despised by the stricter 
Jews of the north and south, because they had inter- 
married with Greeks and other " barbarians ' ' and 
held comparatively lax religious views. (5) Jesus' 
parable of the Good Samaritan, (6) and his talk 
with the woman at the well, recorded in the fourth 
chapter of John, show how they were generally re- 
garded, and also show, in contrast, how Jesus felt 
about them. 

Philip's preaching was successful. Others suc- 
ceeded as well, and to keep burning all these new 
fires of the Gospel which had been kindled and to 
establish relations between the various groups of 
new converts and the older church at Jerusalem, to 
which the Christians were gradually returning, 
Peter and John went down to visit them. 

Our lesson to-day is taken from a most pictur- 
esque incident of this journey. (7) (Acts 8:9-25) 
Peter's bitter words, far more scathing than any- 



54 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

thing he said to Ananias, (8) seem finally to have 
driven the wickedness out of the magician's heart, 
though we are left uncertain whether it was real 
conviction of sin, or only craven fear of the conse- 
quences of sin, which led him to beg Peter to pray 
for him. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Use Map in connection with explanations about 
Samaria. The pupils should be able to describe and 
point out its location, as this was part of the work 
of the preceding year in the Beacon Course on the 
Story of Jesus. This is a good time to fix the 
location of Csesarea, and its relation to Jerusalem, 
to which reference is so frequent in subsequent les- 
sons. 

Philip the Evangelist of this lesson is not the 
Philip of Christ's chosen twelve, but the deacon 
mentioned in Acts 6 : 5 and Acts 21 : 8-9, the same 
who had four daughters " which did prophesy." 

Simon the Sorcerer. A magician in those days 
really understood the laws of nature better than 
most people. He " represented a stage half way 
between a gipsy fortune-teller and a modern man of 
science. " Whether he used his knowledge for good 
or ill depended upon the man. This Simon has not 
left a good reputation behind him. Some believe he 
claimed to be the Messiah and to rival Jesus. 
There are many grotesque stories about him. One 



SIMON THE SORCERER 55 

makes him the father of all heresies. It tells how 
he went to Rome and enjoyed immense success until 
Peter and Paul arrived. He had announced that he 
would be caught up into heaven, and was actually 
floating off through the air in a chariot drawn by 
demons when Peter and Paul knelt in prayer and 
he fell to earth, a mangled corpse. He was sup- 
posed to have a familiar spirit, which he had made by 
charming the soul out of the body of a boy. This 
body he used for his own evil purposes. 

The Word Simony defined as "the act or practice 
of trafficking in sacred things' J is an unpleasant 
reminder of this Simon's effort to purchase the gift 
of the Holy Ghost. Some of the corrupt practices 
of the Church of the Middle Ages, such as selling 
indulgences for sins committed or about to be com- 
mitted, seem to us very like this. 

Witchcraft was strongly condemned by Old Tes- 
tament writers. "Rebellion is as the sin of witch- 
craft." (I Sam. 15 : 23) "I will cut off witchcrafts 
out of thine hand and thou shalt have no more sooth- 
sayers." (Micah 5:12) Deuteronomy 18:9-12 for- 
bade practices of witchcraft or enchantment in 
the Promised Land. 

Magic, " white" and "black." 

Natural Law More Wonderful than any Magic. 
Imagine what a world without law would be like: 
if you did not know in the morning whether the sun 
was about to rise or set ; whether the glass of milk 
you drank would nourish or poison you, etc., etc. 



56 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

BOOKS HELPFUL IN PREPARING 
THIS LESSON 

Simon the Sorcerer, in G. H. Gilbert's A Short 
History of Christianity* in the Apostolic Age, p. 52. 

Simon Magus, article in Encyclopedia Britannica. 

Sorcery, in Ramsay's St. Paul, Traveler and 
Roman Citizen, p. 78. 

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION 

Judging a man's acts by his motives. 
Science and religion : should there be any conflict 
between them? 

LESSON MOTTO 

"111 fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, 
Where wealth accumulates and men decay.' ' 

■ — Goldsmith. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON VII 

1. 

Most of our lesson for next Sunday is to be found in Acts 
8 : 9-25 ; but we also have a little about a very fine old Jew 
named Gamaliel. We shall meet him again, so it is worth 
while to get acquainted with him. 

Please see what you can find out about him in Acts 5 : 34, 
and in the encylopsedia. and come prepared to pass on 
your information to the rest of us. 

2. 

One of the characters in our next lesson story (Acts 8 : 9- 
25) is Philip, mentioned also in Acts 21:8. Find out all 



SIMON THE SORCERER 57 

you can about him. In the encyclopaedia the heading of 
the article about this particular Philip will probably be 
1 'Philip, the evangelist. ' * 

3. 

Next Sunday's lesson takes place in Samaria. Please 
look up Samaria on the map and also in some good book of 
reference. You will find that it was not only the name of a 
city, but of the country round about it. 

4. 

See if you can find out how the Jews of other parts of 
the country regarded the people of Samaria, and why. Do 
you remember what was said about this in last year's course 
on the Story of Jesus ? John 4 : 9 may remind you. The 
Britannica has a long article about Samaria. 

5. 

Our next lesson is to be about Simon the Sorcerer, Acts 
8 : 9-25. The incident took place in Samaria, whose people 
were not at all popular with the Jews. How did Jesus re- 
gard them? I think you can find out by referring to his 
parable of the Good Sanfaritan, Luke 10: 30-36, and to 
Luke 9 : 52-56. 

6. 
Our next lesson is to be about Simon the Sorcerer, Acts 
8 : 9-25. The incident took place in Samaria, whose people 
were not at all popular with the Jews from other parts of 
the country. You will find a story about the way Jesus 
treated one of them, the woman at the well, in the fourth 
chapter of John. Please read it to us. 

7. 

Our next lesson is to be about Simon the Sorcerer, Acts 
8 : 9-25. Please explain to us just what a sorcerer is sup- 
posed to be. 



58 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

8. 
Our next lesson is to be about Simon the Sorcerer, Acts 
8: 9-25. See if you can find out how witchcraft was re- 
garded by the Old Testament writers. The following 
references may help you : Deut. 18 : 9-12 ; Micah 5 : 12 ; and 
I Sam. 15 : 23. 



LESSON VIII 

PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH 

(Acts 8: 26-40) 

(1) Today 's lesson is taken from another incident 
of Philip's ministry. (Acts 8: 26-28) (2) (3) Tell 
a little about Ethiopia, with its civilization akin to 
that of Egypt, or possibly even older. 

The king was chosen from among the priests; (4) 
and Candace was probably the name of the king's 
mother, though several ladies bearing this title 
appear to have reigned vigorously on their own 
account. 

There is a legend that the . given name of this 
particular Candace was Judith, and that of the 
Ethiopian treasurer, Juda. Very likely he was a 
convert to Judaism, and was returning home after 
worshiping at Jerusalem, when he encountered 
Philip. (See position of Gaza on map with relation 
to Jerusalem and Ethiopia.) 

(5) (6) Read Acts 8 : 26-34. (7) Then read Isaiah 
53 :7-8, and more if there is time. Small wonder the 
Ethiopian desired explanations ! Finish the rest of 
the story. (Acts 8:35-39) 

Ask the class what meaning this lesson has for us. 
(8) "Do it now" and "With all thy might" are both 

59 



60 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

good answers. Keeping to the first, enlarge on the 
value of initial impulse. " Quench not the spirit' f 
would be an excellent text for the children to learn. 
Use incidents in the daily experience of everyone. 
For example, in mending, that old adage "A stitch 
in time saves nine" is as true as it is tiresome. The 
value of a dose of medicine depends very greatly 
upon the? moment when it is administered. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Ethiopia. Greek name for the country south of 
Egypt, meaning "land of the sunburnt faces." Its 
inhabitants were a nation of traders, a chain of ruins 
from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean still 
marking the route of its ancient commerce. Rude 
sculptures on some of these ruins show the women 
as warlike, dragging captives by the hair. The 
physical type was handsome, beautifully formed, 
slender, the skin dark brown in color. The sol- 
diers carried spears as long as themselves, two- 
edged swords, and shields made of rhinoceros 
hide. 

Some people believe that the Queen of Sheba came 
from this region. The king was chosen from among 
the priests, who continued to have greater power 
than he, for they could command him to take his 
own life if they chose to do so, saying the gods had 
ordered it. The sentence of death, even for people 
of lesser rank, was always in this form. A 
messenger with the fatal sign appeared before the 



PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH 61 

condemned, who was then expected to retire to his 
own house and commit suicide. 

The women were people of spirit. A story is told 
about a mother whose son tried to escape instead of 
killing himself when ordered to do so. She 
strangled him with her own girdle, feeling that 
death was indeed preferable to dishonor. 

Candace. Two queens of this name are mentioned 
in history. One was a one-eyed virago who invaded 
Egypt b. c. 22, and had the courage to defy Rome 
itself. 

The other is the Candace mentioned in Acts. 
According to tradition she was converted by her 
treasurer after he returned home; and she built a 
church, called St. Mary of Zion, in Aksoum, which 
may be seen to this day. After her death, however, 
Christianity died out among her subjects, and did 
not reappear in the region for several centuries. 

Eunuch may be described as an Eastern court 
official. 

Do it Now. In Roosevelt's letters to his children 
are several "Do it Now" stories. One tells how he 
rescued a kitten and secured a good home for it 
while on the way to church. Another shows with 
what promptness, yet with what sympathy, he man- 
aged mischievous youngsters, his boys and their 
friends, in the "White House. 

Another story came to the writer very direct, — 
only at second hand, or should one say mouth? It 
is a war-story story about the Prince of Wales. 
Army surgeons were sure that hospital needs or 



62 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

abuses would be quickly righted if they came to his 
attention. There was a rumor that unfortunate 
influences were at work near the King and Queen. 
Certain persons more interested in furthering their 
own fortunes than in winning the war were inter- 
fering. The Prince heard about it, made a hurried 
trip across the Channel for an interview with his 
parents, had the wrong-doers removed, and was back 
at his post before most of the command even knew 
he had left camp. 

Photographs of sculptures on Egyptian ruins may 
be of interest. While it may not be possible to pro- 
cure those actually from this extreme southern 
region, there are others in Egypt proper, showing 
captive Assyrians led by the hair. 

Photographs of the Bisharines of today will give 
an adequate idea of the physical characteristics of 
these people. They are also traders, and come from 
the south to haunt the region of the First Cataract 
of the Nile to sell beads and curios to traders. They 
carry spears, shields of skin, and fierce looking 
swords. 

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION 

Casual meetings, and what may come of them. 

" Doing it now" 

TO BE MEMORIZED 

* ' Quench not the Spirit ' ' I Thess. 5 : 19. 



PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH 63 

LESSON MOTTO 

"Be ready to do your duty when you see it, and as you 
see it." — T. Roosevelt. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON VIII 

1. 

Next Sunday's lesson will be found in Acts 8: 26-40. 
Please refresh our memory by recalling what we have al- 
ready learned about Philip the Evangelist. 

2. 

Next Sunday's lesson will be found in Acts 8: 26-40. 
Tell us about Gaza. Where and what was it ? I think you 
will find that it was not a desert as one would suppose by 
merely reading Acts 8 :26. The Encyclopaedia Britannica 
will tell you about it. It was there that Samson carried 
away the gate of the city, posts and bar and all. 

3. 

Our lesson for next Sunday will be found in Acts 8 : 26- 
40. Tell us what you can find out about Ethiopia, where it 
lay, and what kind of people lived there. 

4. 

Next Sunday's lesson will be found in Acts 8 : 26-40. See 
if you can find out anything about this Queen Candace, or 
any other queen of that name. Perhaps it was not a given 
name at all, but only a title. What do your books of ref- 
erence say ? If you have not any such books at home, you 
might look in those at school. 

5. 

Next Sunday's lesson will be found in Acts 8: 26-40. 
Since the Ethiopians were not of the Jewish faith, it is 
supposed that this treasurer of the queen had become a 
convert to Judaism and had been up to Jerusalem to wor- 



64 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

ship. Tell us how many times a year all the Jews and 
Jewish converts who could possibly do so were supposed to 
present themselves in the temple. 
You remember the three great festivals. 

6. 

Next Sunday's lesson will be found in Acts 8 : 26-40. I 
shall ask you to read aloud verses 26-34. 

7. 
Next Sunday's lesson will be found in Acts 8: 26-40. 
There is in it a quotation from the prophet Isaiah. See if 
you can find it, in the fifty-third chapter, and be ready to 
read it when called upon. 

8. 
Next Sunday's lesson will be found in Acts 8: 26-40. 
Please read it over carefully and tell us, when called upon, 
why you think it was chosen for a lesson and what it may 
teach us. There are several good answers. I am curious 
to know whether you choose the one I have in mind. 



LESSON IX 

PETER'S VISION UPON THE HOUSETOP 

(Acts 10:1-18) 

It was not only because of Peter's sermons that 
he became famous. Yon remember he had the 
power of making people feel that they conld do 
things, even of making the sick feel well. Because 
of his acts of healing, people flocked to him. It was 
believed that if his shadow fell upon a sick person it 
would work a cure. 

While traveling about, visiting the new churches, 
he made Joppa, the seaport of Jerusalem, his head- 
quarters. It is a bad port for modern ships, but did 
very well for the tiny vessels of Peter's day. 
(Show position on the map, and give a moment or 
two to its appearance, and to its picturesque real 
and legendary history. Do not forget the aspect of 
the roofs, which become out-door living rooms in 
Palestine, and have a particular" place in this story.) 

In Joppa, Peter lodged with "one Simon a 
tanner," although tanners were not in very good 
repute. This was because their trade made it 
necessary for them to handle dead animals. Even 
many living animals were classed as "unclean" by 
the Jewish laws, which were very explicit about 

65 



66 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

touching things which were unclean. They were 
equally explicit concerning the animals which were 
to be used as food, and those which were not. (Read 
a little of Leviticus 11. A very small portion will 
suffice, but it is convincing, and worth doing.) 

(1) (2) Read the lesson in the following order: 
Acts 10, beginning ' l Peter went up upon the house- 
top to pray" in the ninth verse, and ending with the 
sixteenth verse. Let us think first of this story of 
Peter's vision as if it really happened, as the writer 
of this account wanted us to do. This command to 
kill and eat was contrary to all his training and 
habits of thought, and he must have been sorely 
perplexed. Yet it must have reminded him very 
forcibly of certain acts and sayings of Jesus. Soon 
he had the opportunity to put the lesson it taught 
into practice. (3) (4) (Read Acts 10:1-8 and 17- 
35) Peter went on to tell his hearers the story of 
Jesus. (5) (Read Acts 10:44-48) 

(6) (7) Peter was severely criticised for taking an 
uncircumcised Gentile into the church; (8) but after 
this illuminating vision he was convinced that it was 
the right thing to do, and told his critics so, boldly. 
(Read Acts 11:1-18) 

A different view of Peter's attitude and his con- 
tention with Paul over the admission of uncir- 
cumcised Gentiles to the Christian group is given in 
Galatians, which is earlier and more accurately his- 
torical. (See Gal. 2:2, 6-9, 11-14. Cephas is of 
course Peter.) 

The attitude of Peter on this question, and this 



PETER'S VISION UPON HOUSETOP 67 

incident of the baptism of Cornelius and the dis- 
cussion to which it gave rise, mark the beginning of 
a great historical change. It was the first step in 
making a world religion out of what until then had 
been a -mere Jewish sect, which would have remained 
a Jewish sect forever had Peter's critics had their 
way. Like the majority of their race they were so 
bound by Jewish law that it seemed impossible to 
escape from its trammels, — as hard as it is for one 
born into the castes of India to escape from them 
today. The followers of Jesus who were Jews by 
birth were sure that a man or woman could become 
a good Christian only by first conforming to every 
detail of Jewish law. They still looked upon them- 
selves as a favored people, and could not grasp the 
full meaning of Jesus' teachings about God's love 
for all his human children. 

Even Peter finally concluded that on the whole it 
was better to follow Jewish law. He became the 
missionary to his own people, just as Paul, in after 
years, carried the gospel into strange lands. 

The church at Jerusalem, which shared Peter's 
views, later sank into comparative insignificance, 
bound by these fetters of Jewish law. Yet it did 
the world inestimable service by preserving the 
traditions and sayings of Jesus, even while blind to 
the larger aspects of his gospel. 

It happened that the most forceful teachers of 
the Christian faith were men of Jewish birth; 
but they were the ones who outgrew this narrow 
view. 



68 PETEE AND OTHER APOSTLES 

Time and again this same spirit of liberality has 
burst the bonds that were closing around it as Ideals 
began to harden into Routine. 

One such manifestation sent our Pilgrim Fathers 
across the Atlantic. 

SUGGESTIONS 

The Historical Aspect. By working u over- 
time " the last point made, this lesson, which begins 
with food and ends with the Pilgrim Fathers may be 
made to do duty at Thanksgiving time. 

Joppa. A very old seaport, often captured and 
recaptured. Once it was taken by Richard Cceur 
de Lion. It was the haunt of pirates ; and, accord- 
ing to fable, the place where Andromache was ex- 
posed to the sea-monster and rescued by Perseus. 
In proof of it, her chains and the skeleton of the 
monster were exhibited. 

Growth of an Idea. The taking of Cornelius, a 
Gentile, into the Church caused great commotion. 
In time, however, the idea did not seem so revo- 
lutionary. Paul also faced criticism when he 
avowed himself an apostle to the Gentiles, but not 
nearly so much as he might have experienced had it 
not been for Peter and Cornelius. 

This growth of new ideas is an historic fact, 
repeated time and again. The attitude toward 
slavery during our Civil War is an example. At the 
opening of the war many people thought it wrong, 
but did not see the way to end it. In four years its 



PETER'S VISION UPON HOUSETOP 69 

abolition was a thing accomplished. Ideas and 
events move swiftly in times of war. 

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION. 

The brotherhood of man. 

Difficulty of its application in our daily lives. 

TO BE MEMORIZED 

"What God hath cleansed, that call thou not com- 
mon" (that is, unclean.) Acts 10:15. 

"God is no respecter of persons; but in every 
nation he that feareth him and worketh righteous- 
ness is accepted with him." Acts 10:34-35. 

LESSON MOTTO 

The words of the poet Abdul Fazl, which he wrote at the 
command of the Emperor Akbar, in the sixteenth century, 
as an inscription for a temple in Kashmir : 

"0 God, in every temple I see people that see Thee, and 
in every language they praise Thee. 

1 'Sometimes I frequent the Christian cloister, and some- 
times the mosque. But it is Thou Whom I seek from tem- 
ple to temple. 

' i Thine elect have no dealings with heresy or orthodoxy, 
for neither of these stands behind the screen of Thy Truth. 
Heresy for the heretic and religion for the orthodox ! 

"But the dust of the rose-petal belongs to the heart of 
the perfume seller. " 

Prefixed to Tennyson's »poem "Akbar's Dream." The whole of 
this poem would be excellent to read here. 



70 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 



QUESTIONS, LESSON IX 

1. 

Your share of next Sunday's lesson will be Acts 10: 9-16, 
Please read or tell it to us. Will you also learn the Mem- 
ory Verses? (Acts 10: 15, 34-35) 

2. 
Can you tell us what the word "common," (that is tl un- 
clean" ) in Acts 10:15 meant to a Jew? A look at the 
11th chapter of Leviticus will help you. 

3. 
Please either read or tell to us the part of our lesson story 
found in Acts 10 : 1-8. Will you learn the Memory Verses ? 
(Acts 10: 15, 34-35) 

4. 
Please take as your especial part of our long lesson next 
Sunday Acts 10 : 17-33. Tell or read to us the part of this 
that has not already been told. 

5. 

Give three or four points made by Peter in his speech. 
(Acts 10: 34-44) Which one do you think most impres- 
sive? 

6. 
How many times and in what verses is the vision of Cor- 
nelius repeated? The vision of Peter? See Acts, chap- 
ter 10. 

7. 
Tell us the results that followed Peter's talk (Acts 10: 



PETER'S VISION UPON HOUSETOP 71 

44-48) and the complaint ma^de by the brethren in Jerusa- 
lem. (Acts 11:1-3) 

8. 
Tell us the reasons Peter gave for venturing to trans- 
gress the Jewish rule. See Acts 11 : 15-17. 



LESSON X 

PETER DELIVERED FROM PRISON 
(Acts 12: 1-19) 

We hear a great deal about Herod in the New 
Testament, but the name does not always refer to 
the same person. (1) Herod who ordered the 
massacre of the babies when Jesus was born, Herod 
before whom Christ was brought for trial, and the 
two Herods who persecuted the apostles, were all 
different persons, though members of the same 
family, — a family of local rulers, who exercised 
authority for Rome in Palestine. The one 
mentioned in today y s lesson was Herod Agrippa I, a 
grandson of Herod the Great. He had been 
educated in Rome, and though he lived as a Pharisee 
when among the Jews, he paid little attention to 
Jewish customs when with his Gentile friends. He 
liked to make a good impression and was more likely 
to be generous than just. It is said he was so 
generous that he was almost always in debt. 

Liking to make a good impression, he did some 
things expressly to win the approval of the Jews, 
who were bitter against the new sect of Nazarenes, 
as the followers of Jesus in Palestine were called. 
He put to death James, the brother of John; and, 

72 



PETER DELIVERED FROM PRISON 73 

pleased with the commendation this brought forth, 
he planned to increase it by arresting Peter and 
imprisoning him in the Tower Antonia near the 
temple at Jerusalem. (Use again the tracing of the 
city showing the position of the prison.) Peter was 
accordingly arrested. (2) This was at the season 
of the Passover, a. d. 44. It was: very offensive to 
Jewish feeling to have a trial and execution during 
a holy season; but Herod meant to take advantage 
of the crowds assembled for the festival to conduct 
after the Passover a trial of great solemnity, and 
after convicting Peter, to have him executed very 
publicly. 

Read, turn about, in class, the story of Peter's 
deliverance. (Acts 12:1-19) Bring out certain 
points in the lesson as the reading proceeds: (3) the 
meaning of "quaternions of soldiers' 9 ; (4) (5) (6) 
meaning of " angels, " and Bible stories of their ap- 
pearance. Explain that this was a poetic Eastern 
account of his release, the exact details of which we 
do not know. 

(7) Emphasize the humanness of the tale, the way 
in which little Rhoda lost her head, and the way that 
Peter, who was not always so fortunate, kept his. 
(8) Also, his serenity under trying circumstances. 

This is the application for us: Serenity, readi- 
ness, etc., as qualities for life. 

SUGGESTIONS 
Foub Quaternions of Soldiers. Each quater- 



74 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

nion was a group of four. Thus there would always 
be four men on guard. 

According to Roman law, a soldier who slept at his 
post deserved to die. 

Angels are mentioned in almost every book of the 
Old and New Testaments. 

They interfered when Abraham was about to 
sacrifice Isaac. Gen. 22 : 11. 

Turned Balaam from his purpose. Numbers 22 : 
22. 

Fed Elijah. I Kings 19: 5. 

Delivered the three youths from the fiery furnace. 
Dan. 3 : 28. 

Threatened Jerusalem with destruction. I Chron. 
21:15. 

Wrestled with Jacob. Gen. 32 : 24. 

Appeared to Mary before the birth of Jesus. 
Luke 1:26-38. 

Appeared to the shepherds announcing his birth. 
Luke 2 : 9-15. 

"Strengthened" Jesus as he prayed upon the 
Mount of Olives. Luke 22 : 43. 

Were in the tomb itself, telling the women that 
Jesus was not there. Luke 24: 4-7. 

Take part in many less dramatic incidents. 

"Angels" as used in the Bible means very much 
the same thing as Messenger of God or from God. 
Not always recognized as such; sometimes they 
seemed very ordinary folk; sometimes they did not 
take human form, — were only ideas. 



PETER DELIVERED FROM PRISON 75 

Peter's Experience. "It is said that he 'came 
to himself after he had passed the iron gate. This 
implies that what went before was as a dream.' ' 

— G-. H. Gilbert, A Short History of Christianity 
in the Apostolic Age, p. 84. 

"Some circumstances of which we are ignorant, 
and which they believed to be miraculous, opened his 
prison doors. One night, when a number of the 
faithful were assembled at the home of Mary, the 
mother of John Mark, where Peter was in the habit 
of staying, they heard a knock upon the 
door. . . ." — Renan. 

Picture. Use Raphael's Vatican fresco of 
Peter's delivery from, prison. 

LESSON MOTTOS 

"0 my King; show me thy face, shining in the dark!" 

— Henry Van Dyke. 
" I am the Lord thy God, which leadeth thee by the way 
that thou shouldest go." Isaiah 48 : 17. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON X 

1. 

Our next lesson (Acts 12: 1-19) begins with a reference 
to Herod. We hear a great deal about Herod in the New 
Testament, but the person referred to is not always the 
same. 

Tell us what you can find about this family of local rulers 
who exercised authority for Rome in Palestine. 

2. 
Tell us what you remember about the " feast of unleav- 



76 PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES 

ened bread' ' and the crowds who went up to Jerusalem to 
celebrate it. 

3. 

Tell us what is meant by "four quaternions of soldiers " 
in our next lesson. (Acts 12: 1-19) They were Roman 
soldiers, of course. 

4. 
Tell the part played by an angel in the story in Numbers 
22. Find one New Testament incident which includes an 
angel. 

5. 

A story in I Kings 19 includes an angel. Please tell us 
the incident. Also give one New Testament story in which 
an angel plays a part. 

6. 
"What story in Daniel 3 includes an angel? Tell also 
one New Testament incident (not the account of Jesus' 
birth) in which an angel is said to appear. 

7. 
Next Sunday's lesson will be from Acts 12 : 1-19. Please 
read it over carefully and tell us after thinking about it 
1 ' over-night ' ' what seems to you the most remarkable thing 
about the story. 

8. 
Next Sunday's lesson is to be found in Acts 12: 1-19. 
What do you think it was that kept Peter so serene under 
very unusual and exciting circumstances. 



PAET II 
PAUL : BEGINNING TO BE A CHEISTIAN 



LESSON XI 

BOYHOOD OF PAUL 

(Read Acts 21 : 39 ; 22 : 3, 27-28 ; 26 : 4-7. Eph. 
6:1-4) 

This lesson is important in laying the foundations 
for an understanding of many lessons to come. 

Show with a map, Tarsus (1) the town of Paul's 
birth, an ancient city on the fertile plain of Cilicia, 
with oppressive climate. The small swift Cydnus, 
flowing through its centre, was the boast of the town. 
Its natural advantages had been improved to the 
utmost, and there was a great lagoon upon which 
ships could ride at anchor, and on whose shores were 
arsenals. Leaving this lagoon, the river flowed on 
again to enter the sea ten miles away. 

Another source of the town's prosperity was a 
wonderful road, seventy miles in length, which led 
from this harbor and the city out through the 
(2)"Cilician Gates," a narrow gorge only wide 
enough to permit the passage of the road and a little 
stream, a tributary of the Cydnus. After passing 
this gorge the road climbed the Taurus mountain 
range to the valuable lead mines in the hilly country 
beyond. 

Few mountain passes have been more important 

79 



80 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

in history than the "Cilician Gates.' ' Many armies 
marched along that road before Paul's day, and 
many more were to do so in succeeding centuries, 
(3) The names of Cyrus the Younger, of Alexander 
the Great, of Septimus Severus, and, in later years, 
of the Crusaders who went from Europe to rescue 
the Holy Sepulchre, conjure up visions of pomp and 
power which ought to remove Tarsus forever from 
the ignominy of being a mere black speck upon 
the map. Basil Mathews calls this highway "the 
road that lies like a bridge from Europe to 
Asia." 

Greeks had built the road, and the town con- 
sidered itself Greek, though in some ways it was 
very like the towns of Palestine, and the language 
commonly spoken was the the language Jesus used, 
Aramaic. There was a university where Greek 
philosophy might be studied, but the inhabitants 
were commonly believed to be vain, pleasure-loving, 
and illiterate. Probably they were very like those of 
Pompeii. 

According to legend the town had been founded by 
Sardanapalus, and one of the "sights" of the city 
was a great statue of that corrupt Assyrian 
monarch, snapping his fingers and saying "eat, 
drink and play; nothing else is worth while," an 
inscription to which Paul refers. (1. Cor. 15:32) 

It was at Tarsus that Anthony and Cleopatra first 
met, when the latter sailed into the land-locked 
harbor in a wonderful boat. (4) In Paul's day this 
little city, which liked to believe itself the rival of 



BOYHOOD OF PAUL 81 

Athens, had passed under Roman rule; but Rome 
treated it very kindly, making many concessions to 
the prejudices of its inhabitants. 

(5) Paul's father was a Jew, (6) evidently a rich 
one, for he was also a Roman citizen, (7) and only 
very wealthy or influential Jews were accorded that 
privilege. Paul had a married sister whose son 
later saved Paul's life at Jerusalem. (See Acts 
23:12-24) 

So this boy about whom we are to study grew up 
in a Jewish household, in a Greek town, under 
Roman rule. (8) These three phases of culture 
all had their parts in quickening his active mind, 
and making him what he became, — a citizen of the 
world. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Boyhood op Paul. Draw as realistic and at- 
tractive a picture as possible of a devout Jewish 
household: the joy over the birth of a son; the 
careful plans made for his education, and the pride 
taken by his mother and father in his progress 
toward the goal of Jewish ambition, the dignity of 
Rabbi. The end of Paul's childhood comes in a 
journey by caravan to Jerusalem for the purpose of 
enrolling himself among Gamaliel's students in 
Solomon's Porch of the Temple. This was what 
entering college is to an ambitious boy today. 

Books. Paul the Dauntless by Basil Mathews, 
pp. 25-52, will furnish much suggestive material. 



82 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

The Syrian Christ and A Far Journey by A. M. 
Bihbany contain very personal and true details, — 
memories of the writer's own childhood in an 
Eastern land. When I was a Boy in Palestine by 
Mousa J. Keleel gives bits like the following: "The 
minute a boy baby is born, a mad scramble is started 
by the women attendants to reach the father first, 
and thus win the prize money." (In this case a 
large silver coin.) The happy father was expected 
to furnish refreshments for everybody in the house, 
— coffee for the men, candy and cucumbers for 
women and children. 

"If a baby at birth is weak and inactive, an onion 
is held under its nose, and the sneeze of life usually 
responds." 

Playthings and games of the boys were very like 
our own. Marbles, leap-frog, blind-man's buff, are 
mentioned by this writer. 

Aramaic. "A class of languages so called from 
Aram, a geographical term, which in old Semitic 
usage designates nearly the same districts as the 
Greek word Syria. ' ' Ency. Brit. 

LESSON MOTTO 

"A lad of metal, a good boy." 

— Shakespeare, King Henry IV. 



BOYHOOD OF PAUL 83 



QUESTIONS, LESSON XI 

1. 

With the next lesson we begin the study of Paul's char- 
acter and work. 

As your part please show us Tarsus on the map and tell 
us all you can find out about the city. "Was it free, or un- 
der the power of Rome ? Did it have any peculiar features 
or advantages? 

2. 

What can you tell us about the Cilician Gates near Tar- 
sus, the town where Paul was born ? Was he called Paul as 
a boy? 

3. 

We are going to spend the next lesson period in trying 
to find out what kind of life Paul probably lived as a child. 
His father was a Jew ; he lived in a city that considered it- 
self Greek, but which had passed under Eoman rule ; so all 
three of these influences entered into his life. 

He probably saw Roman soldiers marching by. What 
would he think of them if he was a normal boy ? 

4. 
Paul, a Jew, lived as a child in a town which liked to con- 
sider itself Greek, but which was under Roman rule. 
Look in Acts 17 : 16-31, and tell us if you think familiarity 
with Greek thought helped prepare him for this speech in 
Athens. 

5. 

We are going to spend the next lesson period in trying to 
find out the kind of life Paul probably lived while a boy. 



84 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

Tell us some things a Jewish boy was supposed to learn. 

6. 
"What can you tell us about the Jewish schools for little 
children in old days. Were they like ours ? Or were they 
like the Turkish schools today, where all the scholars sit on 
the floor around their teacher, committing things to mem- 
ory at the top of their voices ? 

7. 

We are beginning now to study Paul. The next lesson 
will be devoted to his childhood. Every Jewish father was 
required by Jewish law to have his boy taught a trade. 
This applied to rich and poor alike. See if you can find 
out what trade this boy learned. 

8. 
In a harbor full of boats filled with sailors from strange 
lands, Paul probably spent some of his leisure prowling 
around the wharves, sniffing the strange smell of sea-going 
ships, and hearing tales about far countries. Do you think 
the experience had any "educational value' ' for him, as his 
life afterward developed? 



LESSON XII 

CONVERSION OF PAUL 
(Acts 9:1-19) 

The method of teaching practised under the 
marble pillars of Solomon's Porch was similar to 
that used in the schools Paul had attended as a 
young boy in Tarsus, varied only by the difference 
in age of the students. They no longer sat on the 
ground and chanted their lessons in noisy chorus. 
The young men gathered around their instructor 
and listened to his words of wisdom, making notes 
on tablet or scroll, as he went over his statements 
again and again, repeating and explaining until they 
had them by heart. The students were encouraged 
to think, but only along well-established lines. The 
rabbis of the time said that the ideal student of the 
law should have a mind like a well-plastered cistern, 
from which nothing that once entered could escape. 

Paul's natural ability brought him distinction 
among Gamaliel's pupils. Soon he was entitled to 
be called Eabbi on his own account ; was perhaps in 
training for missionary service, (Gal. 1:15-16) and 
was employed as agent by the Sanhedrin; a brilliant 
young man, at the threshold of what promised to be 
a long and notable career. We can imagine the de- 
light of his parents when the news reached Tarsus. 

85 



86 PAUL: A CHEISTIAN 

Deeply pious by nature, having been brought up 
a Pharisee, and following all their practices " after 
the strictest sect," as he said himself, (Acts 26:5; 
23 : 6 ; Phil. 3:5; Acts 23 : 3) it was not strange that 
the doings and sayings of the Nazarenes filled him 
with wrath. He thought them blasphemers in re- 
ligion, and low-born disturbers of the peace. He is 
the one man mentioned by name as witnessing and 
"consenting unto" the death of Stephen. "As for 
Saul," the Bible story tells us, "he made havoc of 
the church, entering into every house, and haling 
men and women committed them to prison." (Acts 
8:3) 

The death of Stephen evidently made a deep and 
painful impression upon him. He could not for- 
get the martyr's radiant face. Uneasy, without 
knowing why, he sought relief in activity and harried 
the Christians more and more. Acts 9 : 1-2 tells us 
he was not content with persecuting them at 
Jerusalem, but asked to be sent to Damascus, to 
work against them there. (Acts 26 : 9-11 ; 22 : 4-5 ; 
I. Cor. 15: 9; Phil. 3: 6; Gal. 1: 13) 

It was while on his way to Damascus, indeed 
almost at his journey's end, that the great and mar- 
velous experience came to him. 

There are five different and varied stories of this 
occurrence. Paul gives the simplest, and probably 
the oldest account (1) in Gal. 1:13-17. In I. Cor. 
15 : 8 he briefly refers to it, (2) and in Acts there 
are three versions : Acts 9 : 3-18 ; 22 : 1-16 ; and 26 : 
9-19. (3) The marvelous and supernatural enter 



CONVERSION OF PAUL 87 

more and more into the story with repeated tellings, 
as the wonder of the experience sinks in. Such an 
experience could not be related in the speech of the 
East without recourse to symbolism and poetic ex- 
pression. Indeed, the same would be true in prac- 
tical America. We occasionally "see light" our- 
selves. 

Probably it was not so sudden a conversion as it 
seemed, but in reality was only the sudden final 
flowering of processes long and silently at work. 
(4) They may have begun at the moment of Ste- 
phen's death, when the young Saul stood erect by 
the pile of coats and watched. 

Let us read the account as given in Acts 9 : 3-18, 
(in sections, as question numbers indicate.) It is 
very vivid. We seem to (5) see the hot path at 
noonday, with the sun beating down pitilessly upon 
rocks and parched herbs, — a most unlikely place for 
a mystic vision; to hear the voice, which may 
have seemed an ordinary sound of nature to his com- 
panions, but to him was the accusing, sorrowful call 
of Christ; (6) to share his emotion, which so un- 
nerved him that he had to be led the rest of the way, 
like one bereft of sight. 

In the cool still room of his host in the street 
called Straight he lay for three days, refusing food 
and drink, going over and over again every detail 
of the strange experience; trying to reason it out, 
and coming ever nearer the conclusion that it had 
been no trick of fancy, but was indeed the voice of 
God. (7) Then, when he was almost at the end of 



88 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

physical and emotional strength, he was visited by 
brave Ananias, (8) who dared enter the honse of a 
man presumably his enemy, to lay his hand upon 
the head of this persecutor of Christians, and call 
him "Brother Saul!" 

Paul states (Gal. 1:17) that after this he went 
into Arabia, probably to some quiet spot northeast 
of Damascus which was at that time under Arabian 
rule, where he could be away from men and alone 
with nature for a time, to think things over and 
make the decisions which must be made. This thing 
which had happened was for him much more than 
a mere change in religious belief, great as that would 
be. It meant that if he, Paul the Rabbi, was true to 
his new conception of duty, he must uproot and 
overturn his whole life. He could no longer follow 
the career planned for him from birth, and which 
stretched before him so full of honor and invitation. 
He would be separated from his best friends ; cursed 
where he had been applauded; driven in ignominy 
from the beautiful temple he loved. The new 
career meant inevitable estrangement from his 
family; it might even break the hearts of his par- 
ents. 

There was a great deal to think about, in that 
quiet place outside of Damascus. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Pharisees. "The Pharisees ' great aim was to 
know and obey all the law: for they believed that, 



CONVERSION OF PAUL 89 

if one man obeyed the whole Law for a whole day, 
the Messiah who was to bring in the Golden Age of 
freedom and peace would arrive. ' ' (Basil Mathews, 
Paul the Dauntless, p. 54.) This explains why they 
thought it worth while to do so many tiresome 
things ! 

Paul's Experience. As to what happened to 
Paul, physically and psychologically, a wise preacher 
has said "one man's guess is as good as another's." 
It is therefore not worth while to discuss it at length 
with the young people, who will understand that it 
was a spiritual experience, and be fully occupied 
with that. 

Pictures. Cairo, Jerusalem, and Damascus by D. 
S. Margoliouth, with illustrations in color by W. S. 
S. Tyrwhitt, gives an idea of the beauty of Damascus 
in its surroundings of fresh young* green, which 
made it so wonderful in that thirsty region. 

The Holy Land by Robert Hichens, illustrated by 
Jules Gruerin, contains equally delightful street 
and bazaar scenes. 

Books of Description. Out-of -Doors in the Holy 
Land by Dr. Van Dyke has a chapter full of color 
on "The Road to Damascus." Paul the Dauntless, 
by Basil Mathews, pp. 53-55, sketches Paul's student 
life in the temple, and the character of Gamaliel; 
pp. 79-90, Paul's experience on the road to 
Damascus. 

SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION 

Paul's "wickedness" in persecuting the Chris- 
tians before his conversion may be broached in a 



90 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

hushed voice by one of the youngest students. We 
shall probably decide after reviewing the evidence 
that he was mistaken, rather than wicked, since at 
the time he honestly thought he was doing right, 

LESSON MOTTO 

"A light to guide ... to check the erring, and reprove." 

— Wordsworth. 



CONVERSION OF PAUL 91 



QUESTIONS, LESSON XII 

1. 

Eead for us in class the earliest and simplest account of 
Paul's conversion. (Gal. 1: 13-17) 

2. 

Find the brief reference to Paul's conversion in the 15th 
chapter of I Corinthians. 

3. 

Does the account of Paul's conversion grow less or more 
wonderful with repeated tellings ? Compare Gal. 1 : 13-17 
with Acts 26 : 9-19. 

4 

What was the probable effect on Paul of the death of Ste- 
phen? 

5. 

Tell in your own words what happened to Paul on his 
journey; what he saw and heard. (Acts 9: 3-6) 

6. 

What was the effect upon Paul of his vision ? You will 
find out from Acts 9 : 6, 8 and 9. 

7. 
Tell of the vision of Ananias. (Acts 9 : 10-16) 

8. 
Read for us the account of the visit of Ananias to Paul. 
(Acts 9: 17-19.) 



LESSON XIII 

PAUL TAKES UP HIS NEW LIFE 

(Acts 9 : 20-30) 

After Paul's conversion he still had all his store 
of Hebrew learning. All the texts and ancient 
writings he had studied were still in his mind, and 
he believed them as devoutly as ever 5 (1) but he saw 
that if Jesus was indeed the Messiah his old inter- 
pretations must be all wrong, — that it was necessary 
to reinterpret them according to his new knowledge. 
So much for his intellectual life. 

The change in his physical life would be even 
greater. His fellow rabbis were sure to be "ex- 
ceeding mad" against him; and very likely they 
would treat him as he had treated Stephen. This 
did not cause him much anxiety compared with the 
thought of his family, to whom the news that this 
brilliant son had joined the disciples of the despised 
Nazarene would bring unspeakable sorrow. That 
alone must have caused Paul a severe struggle, for 
he was naturally warm-hearted and affectionate. 

But he was brave and loyal ; and after a time of 
meditation and prayer all these things were settled 
according to his conscience. Then he turned his 
face toward Damascus and began his walk back 
toward the city, knowing he was at the beginning of 

92 



PAUL TAKES UP HIS NEW LIFE 93 

a long hard road, with martyrdom probably at the 
end of it. (2) It would have been easy to slip away 
to some far corner of the Roman Empire where the 
first part at least of his new career would be free 
from danger; but he chose to begin exactly where 
the great change had come upon him. 

The Eoman sentry on guard at the East Gate of 
the city let him pass without question. To all ap- 
pearances he was an ordinary traveler, and not an 
impressive one at that; (3) for tradition says that 
Paul was a small man and rather homely; not the 
kind to attract a second glance. If one did give him 
a second glance, however, it was apt to be followed 
by a third. Now he passed quietly out of the sun- 
shine into the cool blue shadows under the arched 
gate of the city of Damascus. He was never to set 
foot under a Damascus gate again. 

Soon he was preaching in the synagogue. When 
the Jews heard him say that Jesus was the son of 
God, they were amazed, and then bitterly angry. 
Yet he remained there "many days;'' (Acts 9:23) 
"three years" he tells us in Gal. 1 : 18. Perhaps at 
first they thought his actions hid some deep design 
against the hated sect. Later he seemed to them no 
better than a traitor. They made a plot to kill him, 
and persuaded Aretas, who ruled the city for the 
Eoman Emperor, to help prevent his escape. Not 
many hours after this agreement was reached a 
man armed with a knife lay in wait for him at each 
one of the city gates. 

(4) The walls between the Damascus gates were 



94 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

sheer and high; but at certain places houses had 
been built to overhang them. Their walls were 
blank and sheer also, for oriental houses have very 
few windows looking outward, almost all the light 
coming from a central court. There was one house, 
however, belonging to a Nazarene, which had such a 
window and overhung the city wall. To this house 
Paul's friends guided him by night, wrapped in his 
dark traveling cloak. The little clay hand-lamp 
which served as a light within the house was ex- 
tinguished before they entered the room with the 
window. The stars could be seen in the sky above 
as Paul looked out, but peer as he would through the 
shadows, he could not see the ground beneath. 

Somebody had brought a stout round basket, with 
a rope tied to its handles. The night was very still, 
but they listened intently before thrusting the basket 
through the window. Again they listened, fairly 
holding their breath, and repeating a silent prayer. 
Finally Paul climbed into the basket; and foot by 
foot his friends lowered it, Paul fending off from 
the wall meanwhile with his strong hands. When 
he felt his strange vehicle bump against the ground 
he stepped out, gave a farewell tug to the rope as a 
signal to those waiting above, and set off through 
the shadows toward Jerusalem. (See Paul's own 
account of this escape in II Cor. 11 : 32-33.) 

There he did the very hard thing of going into the 
temple among his old friends and acquaintances, 
and preaching his new faith as he had preached it 
at Damascus. He expected his former associates to 



PAUL TAKES UP HIS NEW LIFE 95 

turn against him. What he did not expect, was to 
find that the Christians also distrusted him. Being 
only human, he may have taken satisfaction in the 
thought that they would be amazed and overjoyed to 
find they had gained such a distinguished convert. 
Instead, they remembered his zeal in persecution, 
and believed this to be only a new way of collecting 
evidence against them. Even admitting his con- 
version to be genuine, he must have seemed to them, 
as the French writer Eenan expresses it, "almost 
a deserter.' ' u Nowhere, probably, did he feel more 
alone than in the temple, the scene of his student 
triumphs." 

There was, however, in Jerusalem a Christian Jew 
from Cyprus, a venerable man named Barnabas, 
with a face of great patience and dignity. We have 
(5) already met him, for he was no other than the 
man who sold his field and gave his money to the 
church soon after Jesus ' death. Also he was a kins- 
man of "Mary the mother of Mark" at whose door 
Peter knocked on the night of his escape from 
prison. Barnabas talked with Paul, believed in his 
earnestness, and took him to see Peter and the other 
Christian leaders. 

Paul persisted in going about among the very 
people he had incited against Stephen. As had been 
the case in Damascus, astonishment gave way to 
anger, and another plot was laid to kill him, but 
somebody, perhaps a fellow-student who had loved 
him in the old days, could not refrain from giving 
him warning. It was not necessary to escape in 



96 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

such dramatic fashion as at Damascus, but it was 
thought best for him to leave the country for a time, 
and a band of his friends went with him to Caesarea 
to see him safely aboard the ship which was to carry 
him to his old home in Tarsus. 

Then came seven long years, about which we know 
practically nothing, save that he supported himself 
by tent-making, (6) the trade he had learned in 
obedience to the good old Jewish custom which re- 
quired every lad, no matter how rich his parents, 
to be taught to earn his living by the work of his 
hands. What sort of reception he met on his 
arrival ; what painful scenes took place between him- 
self and his family, whether they cast him off 
utterly, or met him occasionally with reproaches, 
we do not know. In all his writings he is most reti- 
cent about his family, but there are passages about 
the respective duties of parents and children, notably 
the one in Col. 3 : 21, in which some scholars imagine 
they read between the lines, traces of the suffering 
and injustice he had borne. 

He may have been rich before. He was poor now. 
He made tents; and told the story of Jesus 
wherever he could, in the regions of Syria (7) and 
Cilioia. (Gal. 1: 21) It was all very humdrum, and 
to a man of his temperament it must have been very 
trying. (8) But if he was restless, he controlled 
himself. "He was learning," says Mathews, "the 
secret of being content, in plenty and hunger, in 
wealth and poverty." (Phil. 4:11-13) 

Then one day, after this kind of life had gone on 



PAUL TAKES UP HIS NEW LIFE 97 

so long that there seemed no prospect of an end 
until death put a stop to it, a shadow suddenly dark- 
ened his doorway, and he looked up from his task 
to see Barnabas standing before him. (Acts 11 : 25, 
26) 

SUGGESTIONS 

Manual. Labor in the Jewish Scheme of Life. 
"It was a custom among the Jews that all boys 
should learn a trade. 'What is commanded of a 
father toward his son?' asks a Talmudic writer. 
'To circumcise him, to teach him the law, to teach 
him a trade. ' Rabbi Judah saith, i He that teacheth 
not his son a trade does the same as if he taught 
him to be a thief,' and Rabbi Gamaliel saith, 'He 
that hath a trade in his hand, to what is he like? 
He is a vineyard that is fenced.' " — Cony- 
beare and Howson, Life and Epistles of St. Paul, 
p. 47. 

"Every Jewish child had to be taught a trade, 
for the rabbi said, 'He who does not teach his son a 
trade virtually teaches him to steal.' " — Cobern, 
New Archeological Discoveries, p. 660. 

Pictures. Oriental houses, walls, gates, with 
their sunshine and shadow. 

Roman soldiers. 

Bedouin tents. 

In Paul the Dauntless, from which this lesson is 
largely paraphrased, there is a colored picture of 
Paul's* escape from Damascus. 



98 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION 

Paul's courage and disappointment when preach- 
ing at Jerusalem. 

The discipline of the weary years at Tarsus. 

How we can profit by both these experiences of 
his. 

The wisdom of that old custom of teaching every 
man a useful trade. 

LESSON MOTTOS 

"Patient of toil, serene amidst alarms; inflexible in 
faith. ..." 

— Jas. Beattie, The Minstrel. 

"Do what you can, being what you are. 
Shine like a glowworm, if you cannot be a star ; 
Work like a pulley, if you cannot be a crane ; 
Be a wheel greaser, if you cannot drive a train." 

Judge Payne. 

"Everything comes if a man will only wait." 

— Disraeli. 



QUESTIONS, LESSON XIII 

1. 

Last Sunday we left Paul going out into the desert to 
think things over. What sort of questions did he have to 
decide? Please be prepared to review the latter part of 
Lesson 12 to refresh our minds concerning his problems. 



PAUL TAKES UP HIS NEW LIFE 99 

2. 
After deciding the questions that he went out into the 
desert to think over, Paul returned to Damascus and began 
preaching his new belief in the synagogue. Was this the 
only thing he could have done and still remain true to his 
convictions? Would it not have been safer to slip away 
to some place where he was not known, to begin his minis- 
try ? Why do you think he chose as he did ? 

3. 

Tell what you can find out about Paul's personal appear- 
ance. Any good encyclopaedia will help you out. 

4. 

After Paul returned from the desert and began preach- 
ing in Damascus, his enemies plotted to kill him. Tell us 
how he made his escape. Look in Acts 9 : 25. 

There is a book called Paul the Dauntless by Basil 
Mathews which makes a very interesting story of this es- 
cape. Perhaps you can find this book in a library. 

5. 
Our lesson is going to be about the beginning of Paul's 
ministry. He meets a man named Barnabas, as you will 
see in Acts 9 : 27. How did Barnabas befriend him, — and 
where have we met this man before? The answer is in 
Acts 4: 34-37. 

6. 

It was the custom among the Jews to teach every boy a 
trade, no matter how rich his father might be. Do you 
know what Paul's trade was ? Look in Acts 18 : 3. 

7. 
Can you tell us anything about the tents and tent-cloths 
used by the inhabitants of Syria and Arabia? Were they 



100 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

made of cotton, or wool, or silk, or goat's hair? Probably 
you can find out several interesting things about tents by 
consulting one of the larger encyclopaedias. 

8. 
After Paul began to preach, he was obliged to leave Je- 
rusalem and go back to Tarsus, his native city. Here he re- 
mained seven years. We know very little about what hap- 
pened to him during that time ; but it was evidently a time 
of humdrum labor, of waiting, and of hoping that some- 
thing more interesting would "turn up" for him to do. 
Do you think these were wasted years ? Why ? Why not ? 



CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR LESSONS 

In the Old Testament there is a very delightful 
picture of people making grateful offerings to God. 
It is in the story of the building of the temple. 
"Then the people offered willingly; and they gave 
for the house of God gold and silver in abundance. 
And they with whom previous stones were found 
gave them to the treasure of the House of the Lord. 
And the people rejoiced, for that with a perfect heart 
they offered willingly." (I Chron. 29:6-9)— U. G. 
B. Pierce, The Soul of the Bible, p. 98. 

It is suggested that this picture, taken in its 
figurative, not literal, sense, be the one offered to the 
class as its ideal during the coming year : its way of 
echoing the writer of the Sixty-eighth Psalm, (v. 19) 
when he says: "Blessed be the Lord, who daily 
loadeth us with benefits. " 

With this in mind, we shall devote the two holiday 
lessons which follow to the subject of GIFTS. 



101 



LESSON XIV 
ABOUT GIFTS 

CHRISTMAS LESSON 

(I Cor. 12:1, 4, 8-11, 14-23) 

The impulse to make gifts is with us at every 
stage of life. We hear of a new baby and want to 
give it something. The last honor we pay the dead 
is to lay a wreath upon the tomb. 

Sometimes even an animal will bring an article it 
values and lay it before another animal, or at the 
feet of a human being it loves or about whom it 
feels concern. 

The dictionary definition of a gift is that it passes 
from one person to another " without any other con- 
sideration than love and affection/' When savages 
first began to offer gifts to their gods, however, they 
were probably actuated by a spirit of fear rather 
than love. They hoped thus to secure the good 
will of these powerful and capricious beings. 

This conception of a jealous, vengeful God, who 
could be placated by sacrifices, has been very per- 
sistent, lasting with some unhappy people even to 
our own day. One result, in Paul's day, was the 
religion of the Pharisees, with all its strict ob- 
servances of the letter of the law, and so little com- 
prehension of its spirit. 

102 



ABOUT GIFTS 103 

Yet, very early in the history of the Jews the idea 
of gratitude entered into gifts made to God ; and also 
the notion which we are likely to consider a dis- 
covery of our own day, that the proper way of show- 
ing gratitude to God is by doing deeds of kindness 
to our fellow-men. Thus, in the book of Esther, 
(9 : 22) we read about the Feast of Purim, which was 
held to commemorate God's goodness in delivering 
the people from their enemies. It was a two-day 
festival, not only of feasting and joy, but "of 
sending portions one to another and gifts to the 
poor. ' ' 

Jesus had much to say about gifts. He used them 
to illustrate the love of God for his children. "Or 
what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, 
will he give him a stone ? Or if he ask a fish, will he 
give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know 
how to give good gifts unto your children, how much 
more shall your Father which is in heaven give good 
things to them that ask him?" (Matt. 7: 9-11) 

Striking a sterner note he showed that a gift might 
be lavish, yet worse than useless, if not made in the 
proper spirit. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, 
and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught 
against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, 
and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, 
and then come and offer thy gift." (Matt. 5: 
23-24) The meaning of course is that no offering 
can be acceptable to God so long as the giver re- 
mains consciously unjust toward a fellow man. 

Then there is the beautiful story told in Mark 12 : 



104 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

41-44 about the widow's mites, to teach us that the 
money value of a gift has nothing whatever to do 
with its real worth. 

It is said about Jesus in Ephesians 4:8, (quot- 
ing Psalm 68:18) that "he led captivity captive, 
and gave gifts unto men." Indeed, it is almost im- 
possible to imagine how different the lives of this 
little group of people sitting here to-day would be, 
had Jesus not made to the world the wonderful gift 
of the ideals and beliefs for which he so gloriously 
lived and died. 

Since we are studying about the Apostles, let us 
see what they had to say about gifts. 

You remember Peter's answer to the lame beggar 
near the Beautiful Gate: " Silver and gold have I 
none; but such as I have, give I thee," and how, 
filled with new courage, the beggar leapt to his feet 
cured. 

In II Corinthians 6: 10, Paul describes the apos- 
tles as "poor, yet making many rich; as having 
nothing, yet possessing all things." They certainly 
followed the counsel of Jesus, "Freely ye have re- 
ceived ; freely give. ' ' (Matt. 10 : 8) 

In a great passage, Phil. 4 : 10-20, Paul acknowl- 
edges a sorely needed gift, sent to him in prison 
from Philippi. Our real lesson for the day, how- 
ever, is in the twelfth chapter of I Corinthians, 
in which Paul tells us how we should regard the 
natural gifts with which God has endowed us. 
(Class may be called upon to read aloud verses 1, 
4, 8-11, 14-23.) 



ABOUT GIFTS 105 

In the second letter to Timothy, the young teacher 
is admonished to "stir up the gift of God that is in 
thee." Timothy was perhaps a little inclined to 
take things easy when it came to a matter of culti- 
vating his own talents. We all know how necessary 
practice is in order to develop and train a natural 
gift for music, or any form of athletics, or for cook- 
ery, or anything else. Often the necessary practice 
is a great bore ; but in our hearts we know it is the 
only means by which we can adequately thank God 
for it. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Persistent Idea of an Angry, Jealous God. A 
friend of the writer, the sweetest, gentlest per- 
son imaginable, was haunted until she was a woman 
grown by the terrible God she had pictured to her- 
self as a child, — a gray old man with beard and 
bushy eyebrows, peering angrily at her from be- 
hind walls and around corners, watching to catch 
her in some trivial sin. She was forever trying to 
placate him, saying " Now God, if I do so and so, you 
will not be angry with me, will you?" And this 
in our day ! 

Bible Full of Beferences to Gifts. Some of 
these gifts are good and some bad. Gifts to kings 
or judges were made in exactly the same spirit as to 
the jealous Gods. 

1 l Everyone loveth gifts. ' ' Isaiah 1 : 23. 



106 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

"A man's gift maiketh room for him, and bring- 
eth him before great men. ' 9 Prov. 18 : 16. 

" Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.' ■ 
Prov. 19:6. 

"He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own 
house, but he that hateth gifts shall live." Prov. 
15:27. 

"A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him 
that hath it." Prov. 17:8. 

"With the Lord our God is no taking of gifts." 
II Chron. 19:7. 

The blessing of God cannot be bought, as Simon 
the Sorcerer found. There are many striking and 
charming stories about gifts in the Bible: for in- 
stance, the way in which Joseph chose to make him- 
self known to his brethren ; the offering of the Wise 
Men to the baby Jesus; the cup of cold water, and 
a score of others. 

LESSON MOTTO 

"Not what we give, but what we share, 
For the gift without the giver is bare ; 
Who gives himself with his alms feeds three, 
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me. ' ' 

— J. It. Lowell. Vision of Sir Launfal. 

QUESTION, LESSON XIV 

Let each of the class be asked to bring and read 
during the lesson a quotation about gifts, not neces- 
sarily from the Bible. 



LESSON XV 
THE GIFT OF PROPHECY 

NEW YEAR LESSON 

(I. Cor. 14: 1-3, 5, 13-15, 19-22) 

This is really a continuation of last Sunday's les- 
son. 

After mentioning various kinds of gifts Paul said 
(I Cor. 14:1) "Desire spiritual gifts, but rather 
that ye may prophesy." 

In ancient Israel a prophet or seer was supposed 
to know God's will and to proclaim it to the people. 
While a large part of a prophet's work was relig- 
ious, an important part of it was political; for the 
Jews believed they were set apart from other na- 
tions, and that therefore no Jew could be really 
religious without being at the same time patriotic. 
Indeed, the earliest Jewish idea iseems to have been 
that God dealt with the tribe or nation as a whole, 
and paid comparatively small heed to individuals. 
The idea of each man's separate >and individual re- 
lation to God developed later ; while the idea we find 
in the New Testament, that the kingdom of God is a 
purely spiritual kingdom, having nothing to do with 
race or nationality but is made up of good men and 

107 



108 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

women in all parts of the earth, was a result of 
Jesus' teaching. In the centuries following his 
death it spread far and wide, being greatly aided by 
the life and work of the Apostle Paul. 

In ancient Israel there were schools of the Proph- 
ets, in which men were trained to become public 
religious instructors. Most of the great men who 
are remembered to-day as Prophets of Israel were 
trained in these schools, but not all of them. 

Sometimes the prophets predicted the future; 
sometimes they talked to the people about the pres- 
ent. They even rebuked the King when they be- 
lieved he had done wrong, and in that day and place 
such an act required a vast deal of moral courage. 

There were false prophets as well as true ones. 
Not all of these were insincere. Some merely did 
not understand. They had learned a set of religious 
principles by rote and were content to go on apply- 
ing them mechanically, without taking the trouble 
to think. Thus they taught what was not right and 
led their followers into serious error. 

The real prophets were men of great minds, who 
thought deeply and held to high ideals. Even when 
they predicted the downfall of their nation they em- 
phasized the justice of God. 

From the days of Isaiah and Amos, who lived 
about 700 years before Christ, the Hebrew prophets 
were also writers. 

The change from the old idea that God was more 
interested in the tribe* or the nation to the new one 
that he dealt with individuals was doubtless aided 



THE GIFT OF PROPHECY 109 

by the misfortunes which befell Israel as a nation. 
It was during the last six hundred years of Old 
Testament history that the problem of man's per- 
sonal relation to God was discussed and pondered 
over. The Book of Job and the Psalms belong to 
the literature of this period. 

In the early Christian Church prophets were con- 
sidered necessary as proof that the Church had in- 
deed been blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Women <as well as men might prophesy. Philip 
had four daughters who all received this gift. The 
respective degrees of honor in the early church 
were: 

1. Apostles, the missionaries of the time, who 
traveled from place to place, preaching. 

2. Prophets, who might either travel from place 
to place like the Apostles, or settle down in one com- 
munity. 

3. Teachers, the preachers who remained perma- 
nently in one church. 

The prophets really enjoyed the greatest liberty 
of all, local churches having no authority or 
control over them, ,since they were supposed to be 
inspired directly by the Holy Spirit. For almost 
two hundred years they were held in high honor: but 
in time so many false prophets appeared that all 
were discredited. Perhaps it was this great free- 
dom which made the calling so tempting to impos- 
tors. For conscientious people, on the other hand, 
it was no easy calling. It was the duty of prophets 
ta practice what they preached! 



110 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

They might talk about any subject that they felt 
was for the good of the church to hear. Sometimes, 
especially in Gentile churches, where a strong pagan 
influence was at work, a prophet would lose control 
of himself and fall into a kind of ecstasy, which 
must have resembled much more the "speaking with 
tongues " about which we read, than genuine 
prophecy. 

In Paul's time real prophecy meant "reasoned ex- 
hortation" which was inspired of God. (Read in 
class what Paul had to say about this in I Cor. 
14: 19. Also, from the same chapter, verses 1-3; 5; 
13-15; 19-22; and for the effect of prophecy, 23-25) 

This lesson seems particularly applicable at the 
beginning of the year, a time when it behooves each 
of us to take account of stock, as merchants say, — 
to think over the past and apply its lessons to the 
future. Such a look may reveal strange and un- 
expected things. Whatever we see, we should not 
allow ourselves to be discouraged or cast down. 
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but 
of power, and of love, and of a sound mind," as we 
are told in II Tim. 1 : 7. The Revised Version gives 
another reading which is equally encouraging: — 
"power and love and discipline." Is not this verse 
worth remembering? 

Somebody has said that we should live : 

By the Past 
In the Present 
For the Future. 



THE GIFT OF PROPHECY 111 

SUGGESTIONS 

Foe ast Example of the Prophet not Trained in 
Schools, cite Amos. Read all of the quotation from 
him in Soul of the Bible, pp. 254-255. 

Ask for some Modern Example of a great man 
who saw things clearly, spoke forcibly, and led his 
countrymen to better things. Lincoln is likely to be 
mentioned. The closing sentences of his second 
annual message to Congress are an excellent ex- 
ample of statesmanship which did not go on thinking 
old thought in an old way. "The dogmas of the 
quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present,' ' 
he wrote. "The occasion is piled high with diffi- 
culty, and we must rise to the occasion. As our case 
is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We 
must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save 
the country. ' ' 

Point out to the class in Lincoln's Second In- 
augural that confession of national guilt and the 
righteousness of national punishment, which in its 
very words as well as in substance might have fallen 
from the lips of the sternest of the Hebrew 
Prophets. Immediately afterward comes the won- 
derful closing paragraph, so full of the love and 
spirit of service taught by Christ. 

Pictures. Use Sargent's "Prophets" in the 
Boston Public library. 

lesson motto 

"That which I see not, teach thou me. If I have done 
iniquity, I will do it no more/' Job 34:32. 



112 PAUL: A CHRISTIAN 

QUESTION, LESSON XV 

Ask for a list of the Major and Minor Prophets of 
the Old Testament. Explain in class the disap- 
pointing distinction between them, — that it is chiefly 
a matter of quantity, not of quality in their 
utterances. 



PAET III 
PAUL DOING HIS WORK 



LESSON XVI 

THE CALL TO SERVICE 
(Acts 11:19-30) 

(1) We can imagine Paul's astonishment and de- 
light when he looked up and saw Barnabas standing 
before him; and the question that leapt to his eyes 
even as he rose to greet him. (2) But it was a law 
of hospitality in the East to ask no questions of a 
guest, — to offer him food and water, and let him ex- 
plain himself. After the dust of travel had been 
washed away, and Barnabas had eaten, Paul learned 
in detail what Barnabas had probably told him in 
three words when their hands first touched: (3) that 
he needed his help in Antioch, where Jews and 
Greeks were coming into the church in such numbers 
that Barnabas could no longer handle the work 
alone. He remembered Paul's fiery zeal, and had 
set off to fetch him. 

We may be sure Paul needed no, urging. He 
could be ready in an hour. There was little to do 
beside rolling up the mat on which he slept at night, 
and filling his water bottle. Anyone who chose 
might finish the tent upon which he had been at work. 

Whether they journeyed by land or water matters 
not at all. In either case Paul's mind raced far 
ahead of his body. 

115 



116 PAUL DOING HIS WOEK 

(4) The Syrian Antioch was very beautiful with 
its turreted walls and the five stately bridges 
spanning the River Orontes. In the river was a 
pleasure island covered with dwellings of rich nobles, 
which was a delight to the eye, and inside the walls 
lay the street that Herod thought the most wonderful 
in the world : four long miles of white marble 
colonnades, crossed midway by another great street 
which led directly to the royal palace. In the square 
made by the meeting of the two stood a giant statue 
of Apollo ; and out beyond the West Gate could be 
seen the trees of the famous Grove of Daphne. 

There were men of prominence among the Chris- 
tians of Antioch. Simeon, who was called Niger, 
a surname meaning black, because of his black hair 
or black skin (possibly the same man mentioned in 
Mark 15 : 21 as carrying the cross of Jesus) ; Lucius, 
who came from Cyrene ; and Manaen, who was fos- 
ter brother of Herod himself. (Acts 13:1) These 
must have been a little disappointed at first sight of 
Paul, and have thought Barnabas over-enthusiastic. 
Barnabas was much the more impressive in appear- 
ance, though Paul was by far the better speaker. 
As yet, however, he lacked practice, and the wis- 
dom which comes only with experience. 

Walking Herod's marble street day after day, he 
saw people of all complexions and races, and noticed 
that many of the best dressed among them went out 
through the West Gate to the beautiful grove which, 
for all its temples and altars, was a most unholy 
spot. The more he studied their faces the more they 



THE CALL TO SERVICE 117 

seemed to him to wear the same expression, a 
hungry, disappointed look as though they were seek- 
ing for something they could not find. Paul felt a 
growing conviction within him that he could show 
them where to look for true happiness. (5). On 
their part the citizens would nudge one another as 
he passed and say, " There goes one of those Christ- 
ians l" It was in Antioch that this name was first 
used as a bit of the slang of the day, and not com- 
plimentary. The Christians spoke of each other as 
followers of " The Way.' ' 

(6) After Paul had been in Antioch about a year 
the Church was visited by certain Prophets who 
came to ask aid for their fellow religionists in 
Jerusalem. Agabus, their spokesman, "signified 
by the Spirit" that there was to be a wide-spread 
famine. This was a case of that clear vision which 
Paul commended when he wrote (I Cor. 14: 19) that 
he would rather speak in the church five words with 
understanding than ten thousand in an unknown 
tongue. 

Agabus read the signs of the times correctly. The 
famine came, and the Christians in Jerusalem suf- 
fered greatly. Help went to them from many 
sources, even from a great distance. The Christians 
of Antioch gave i i each according to his ability, ' 9 and 
sent their gifts by the hands of Barnabas and Paul. 
They probably took wheat and figs and olives with 
them to be distributed, for money would have helped 
little in a town where there was no food to buy. 

Their task completed, they returned to Antioch, 



118 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

(7) bringing with them a young relative of Barna- 
bas, John Mark, to whose home Peter had gone after 
his strange release from prison. Paul and Barna- 
bas had been so successful, and had proved such a 
good "team" of workers, that the Church at Anti- 
och, which by this time had become the most pro- 
gressive and flourishing of all the Christian churches, 
decided to send them out again; not with material 
help this time, but on a journey to carry messages of 
good will and encouragement to churches already 
established, and to found new ones. So this work 
of mercy, the taking of food to hungry people in 
Judea, proved the starting point of a much greater 
work in which Paul and his companions carried spir- 
itual food and comfort to many nations and many 
millions of people; and exercised an immense influ- 
ence on the history of the world, not merely in their 
own lifetime but down through the centuries, even 
to our own day. 

Their missionary journeys occupied years, ten or 
eleven at least, and covered thousands of miles. (8) 
Those who made them traveled in various ways, on 
foot, by horses and asses and camels when they could, 
and in boats, tiny little things that we should con- 
sider hardly seaworthy. There is a verse in the 
King James version (Acts 21:15) where reference 
is made to "our carriages" but the Revised Version 
prints it "our baggage." Much of the way was 
covered on foot. Travel in that part of the world 
is uncomfortable today; it must have been very 
strenuous in Paul ? s time ; and there was actual dan- 



THE CALL TO SERVICE 119 

ger as well as discomfort. Being a Christian did not 
tend to lessen either. (Bring the lesson to a close 
by reading in class II Cor. 11 : 24-27 to show the 
perils encountered on these missionary journeys.) 

SUGGESTIONS 

Barnabas was the surname of Joseph, "a Levite, a 
man of God." (Acts 4:36) Greek rendering of 
his name is "Son of Consolation.' ' Goodness 
of heart was his distinctive quality. He was 
leader at first in the missionary journeys. In 
the struggle with the magician Bar-Jesus on 
the island of Cyprus, where Barnabas was born, 
Paul's better intellect brought him to the front, 
and thereafter in Acts Barnabas takes second place. 
He was a man of noble appearance. At Lystra the 
natives called him Zeus, and Paul Hermes. "The 
legend of his missionary labors in Cyprus, including 
martyrdom at Salamis, is quite late and untrust- 
worthy.' ' "The Barnabas of history was a greater 
man than the Barnabas of modern tradition." — En- 
cyclopedia Britannica. 

Eenan in his book St. Paul says that Barnabas 
"made Paul" by fetching him from Tarsus and in- 
troducing him into the young active life of the 
church at Antioch. He is inclined to think Paul a 
little ungrateful; and that it was not strange they 
decided to part company. Acts 15 : 36-40 shows that 
John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, was the cause 
of their final disagreement. Paul did not think him 



120 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

as zealous as he should have been, Barnabas wished 
to keep him with them. Having done his work, 
Barnabas disappears into obscurity. 

SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION 
Being ready, when the opportunity comes. 

LESSON MOTTO 

"He toiled and dared, and earned command." 

— Kingsley. The Mango Tree. 

LESSON QUESTIONS 

1. 

In the next lesson we take up again the fortunes of Paul. 
Tell us in a few words where we left him and what he was 
doing when we saw him last. (Acts 9:30, 11:25) 

2. 

Acts 11 : 25 says that Barnabas went to Tarsus to seek 
Paul who, you remember, was making tents there, and hop- 
ing for something interesting to happen. At the end of 
Lesson 13 Barnabas had just found him. How do you sup- 
pose Paul greeted him? Can you tell us anything about 
Eastern customs in entertaining guests? 

3. 

In the next lesson we take up again the fortunes of Paul. 
See if you can discover from the rather confused state- 
ment in Acts 11 : 19-26 just why Barnabas made the jour- 
ney from Antioch to Tarsus to find him. 

4. 
What can you tell us about the Syrian Antioch of Paul's 



THE CALL TO SERVICE 121 

day ? I believe a good encyclopaedia will yield a lot of in- 
formation. 

5. 
What word in common use in all our churches originated 
in Antioch in Syria? Look for the answer in Acts 11: 26. 

6. 
After Paul had been in Tarsus seven years Barnabas 
asked him to help him in the church at Antioch. Can you 
tell us how long he stayed in Antioch and why he was sent 
away? See Acts 11: 26-30. 

7. 
After a time Paul was called to Antioch ; and from there 
he was sent on a mission with Barnabas to Jerusalem. 
When they returned to Antioch they had with them a young 
man. Tell us what was his name, and where we have met 
him before. See Acts 12 : 25 and Acts 12 : 12. We had 
the latter reference in a lesson some weeks ago. 

8. 
I shall call upon you to read in class II Cor. 11 : 24-27 to 
show some of the perils to which Paul was exposed on his 
long missionary journeys. 



LESSON XVII 

JOURNEYS " UNDER MARCHING ORDERS" 

(See Acts 16 : 10-17 ; 20 : 5, 13 ; 21 : 1-18 ; 
all of 27 and 28) 

How can you get from here to the door? 

How can you get from here to Constantinople? 

How can you get from here to Heaven? 

No journey, however long, or by whatever mode of 
conveyance, can be made in any way except by living 
each minute as it comes, and by doing the next 
thing to be done, — which usually seems a thing of 
little consequence. A man may walk thousands of 
miles ; he can only do so by putting one foot a few 
inches in advance of the other, and keeping everlast- 
ingly at it. 

Paul was one of the greatest travelers of his day. 

He made three great journeys, — four, if we count 
that trip to Jerusalem. Let us follow them on the 
map. Each one pressed a little farther toward the 
west. We will return to that later. 

In journeys like these, which covered years of time 
as well as great stretches of territory, we cannot 
accompany Paul step by step; but we can consider 
a few typical incidents, to get an idea of the daily 
happenings which seemed so commonplace at the 

122 



" UNDER MARCHING ORDERS' ' 123 

time, yet proved so important. (1) In the first place, 
we see that the journeys were subject to sudden 
change of plans. (Acts 16: 7-9) Paul had a general 
plan and an inflexible purpose, but he could change 
his mind quickly to take advantage of accidents that 
might help on that purpose. He was not afraid of 
danger, but did not court it. Sometimes he turned 
aside to avoid it. 

He was a man of vision; also of visions. There is 
a wide difference between the two. Vision means 
the practical sense Agabus showed when he fore- 
told the famine in Judea. He took account of cer- 
tain facts and reasoned from them as one reasons in 
mathematics. Two and two make four, — must make 
four unless something be added or subtracted. 

Paul had this kind of vision, but he also had vi- 
sions, the result of the poetry in his nature and of 
his supreme faith. The mo'st dramatic of these re- 
sulted in his conversion on the road to Damascus. 
But there were others. One is described in Acts 
18:9-10 when God bade him "Be not afraid, but 
speak and hold not thy peace. " Another told him 
to cross over from Asia to Europe. (Acts 16 : 6-12) 
Paul's reason recognized the 'mystical character of 
these visions ; but he regarded them as absolute com- 
mands, which he was as much bound to obey as a 
soldier is bound to obey orders. 

Paul often spoke of himself as a "soldier"; and 
small wonder, considering the kind of life he led. 
(2) Many times in his writings we come across 
similes of the fighting man, and the need a Christian 



124 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

has of the armor of God. It was not always easy 
for him to follow the strenuous life of a missionary. 
Jesus himself admitted that though the spirit might 
be willing, the flesh was weak. Paul appears to 
have had a wonderful constitution, and unlimited 
energy and enthusiasm, but he was not physically 
strong. He was sometimes ill; and he speaks time 
and again of an " infirmity, " a "thorn in the flesh," 
(Gal. 4 : 13-14; II Cor. 12 : 7-9) the nature of which 
we do not know. Some believe it to have been epi- 
lepsy, others, a trouble with his eyes ; others still, a 
malarial fever which made him absolutely useless 
while it was upon him. 

Whatever it was, he had to take care of himself, 
which is never easy or agreeable. (3) He fre- 
quently used the simile of an athlete ; not only in such 
texts as "I press toward the mark" (Phil. 3 : 14) 
and "Finish my course with joy," (Acts 20: 24) but 
in others about bringing the body into subjection, 
and being temperate in all things. He had much to 
say about personal sacrifice of this kind. Romans 
7 : 15-20 shows how hard it sometimes was to make 
himself do what he knew to be right. But he 
believed the body to be the place where God's Holy 
Spirit might come to dwell. (4) In Romans 12 : 1 he 
says: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the 
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living 
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your 
reasonable service." (5) Service, — still the idea of 
the soldier, you see. 



" UNDER MARCHING ORDERS'' 125 

(6) Like other "soldiers" under marching orders, 
Paul was liable to change of companions as well as 
change of plan. (7) After a time he and Barnabas 
parted company, and Paul and his friend Silas 
journeyed together. For a while a young man 
named Timothy did for them the things John Mark 
had formerly done. Probably today he would be 
called a secretary. Paul loved him as a son. 
Then there was a young man of Greek origin, named 
Titus, who proved a most valuable helper. Some- 
times he was left behind to "set in order things that 
are wanting" and even to ordain local church 
officers. In other words, he finished up Paul's work 
when for any reason it seemed best for Paul to push 
on ahead. Some think Titus may have been a 
brother of Luke. Col. 4:7-14 and Rom. 16:3-15 
give many names of people who were more or less 
closely connected with Paul in his work. 

Best of all, there was Luke himself, who kept a 
diary, and, it is commonly believed, wrote the Book 
of Acts, in which he put down, not only his own ex- 
periences while traveling with Paul, but all he could 
learn from others. He is the same Luke who is 
thought to have written the life of Jesus as told in 
the third gospel. (8) The portions of Acts known 
as the "We" sections are the parts supposed to be 
his diary. They are : Acts 16 : 10-17 ; Acts 20 : 5 
and 13; Acts 21:1-18; and all of Acts 27 and 28. 

These companions of Paul were "good soldiers," 
every one of them. 



126 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

SUGGESTIONS 

The Map on which to Follow Paul's Missionary 
Journeys should be large enough to show them 
plainly. When all are traced upon the same map in 
colored inks, they are much more impressive than 
when shown separately. In Kenan's St. Paul 
(Paris, 1869) there is a very good one. These jour- 
neys may be transferred to outline maps and kept 
in a notebook. 

Good Soldiers. Ask the pupils to write out, in 
class, six qualities of a good soldier. 

Texts Eeferring to Soldiers and Armor. 

II Tim. 2: 3 "Endure hardness as a good soldier 
of Jesus Christ." 

II Tim. 2: 4 "No man that warreth entangleth 
himself with the affairs of this life." 

I Tim. 1: 18 "War a good warfare." 

I Tim. 6: 12 "Fight the good fight of faith." 
Eom. 13: 12 "Let us put on the armor of light." 

II Cor. 6:7 "The armor of righteousness." 

II Cor. 10: 4 "For the weapons of our warfare 
are not carnal." 

Eph. 6: 11-17 "The whole armor of God" men- 
tioned piece by piece. 
Texts about Athletics. 
Acts 20: 24 "Finish my course with joy." 
Phil. 3 : 14 "I press toward the mark." 
I Cor. 9: 24-27 "So run that ye may obtain" oc- 
curs in this passage. 



" UNDER MARCHING ORDERS' ' 127 

The Body a Dwelling Place for the Spirit of 
God. 

I Cor. 3: 16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple 
of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 

Rom. 2:1" That ye present your bodies a liv- 
ing sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is 
your reasonable service." 

St. Luke. The most literary among New Testa- 
ment writers and the only one of non-Jewish origin. 
(Ency. Brit.) 

Luke's character may be learned from his writ- 
ings. A beautiful soul, who wrote what Renan 
called i ' the most beautiful book ever written. ' ' Like 
Timothy, Luke seemed created expressly to be the 
companion of Paul. He had a tender spirit and 
great pity for frail and suffering humanity. 

Paul called him the "beloved physician." (Col. 
4: 14) He was probably son of a Greek freedman, 
— a Roman citizen. 

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION 

Choosing and holding fast to essential things. 

Men who have accomplished much with frail 
bodies. It might be worth while to set the young 
folks on a hunt for such. Milton, Parkman, 
Roosevelt, who began with sickly bodies and by 
"exercise" made them strong, readily occur to 
one. 



128 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

LESSON MOTTOS 

"No one could claim with better right to be a sovereign 
among soldiers ! ' ' — Scott. 

"Fear not then, thou child infirm.' ' — Emerson. 
"Perseverance and mulberry leaf make a silk gown." 

— Japanese proverb. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XVII 

1. 

We know that Paul had a general plan in making his mis- 
sionary journeys, and that he never relinquished his pur- 
pose to preach the Gospel to as many people as possible. 
But was he able to carry out this plan exactly as he made 
it ? Answers to this are to be found all through the Book 
of Acts, and in his writings. Acts 16 : 6-10 will do as an il- 
lustration. How many answers do you find there? Is 
there a lesson for us in this ? 

2. 

Paul often used the simile of the fighting man, and spoke 
of himself and other Christians as in need of "armor" etc. 
Find and read us some of these passages. Romans 13, 
Ephesians 6, and II Cor. 6 and 10 are good chapters in 
which to hunt for them. 

3. 
In Paul's writings he often uses similes and expressions 
that have to do with athletics. Find and read us some of 
them. The following chapters are good places in which to 
hunt for them: Acts 20, Philippians 3, I Cor. 9. 

4. 

In spite of Paul's devotion and zeal it was not always 
easy for him to follow the strenuous life of a missionary. 



"UNDER MARCHING ORDERS' ' 129 

He had a great deal to say about sacrifice. Read us 
Romans 12 : 1, in which he speaks of offering our bodies a 
" living sacrifice" to God, and states that this is only 
11 reasonable " service. What do you think he meant? 

5. 

Look up Romans 12 : 1 and read it carefully. Then see 
if you can translate it into something that applies to our 
daily lives in this 20th century, and to our intercourse 
with our neighbors. James 1: 26 gives a hint which you 
might also use in your "translation." 

6. 
During Paul's long, long years of missionary travels he 
had many companions and co-workers. Tell us the names 
of some of them. You can find them by looking through 
Acts and the Epistles. You will find one important name — 
possibly more — in each of the following chapters: Acts 
11 ; Acts 15 ; Acts 16 ; II Cor. 7. 

7. 
Tell us what you can find out about Timothy and Titus, 
two young men who were very dear to Paul. You will 
find short articles about them in any encyclopaedia or bio- 
graphical dictionary. 

8. 

Tell us what you can find out about Luke, especially 
about his friendship for Paul. 

The easiest way to get your facts will be to consult a 
good encyclopaedia or biographical dictionary. 



LESSON XVIII 

ACCLAIM AND PERSECUTION 

(Acts 14:8-20) 

Last Sunday we considered the extent of Paul's 
journeys, and a few of the companions who accom- 
panied him. Today we will take up some of the 
incidents which they probably looked upon as all in 
the day's work and annoying rather than important, 
but which make the story of Paul's travels as excit- 
ing as a romance. 

The methods of teaching practised by our travel- 
ers varied according to circumstance. That was 
one of the things about which they speedily learned 
to change their minds. 

(1) On reaching a town they were likely to go to 
the synagogue, where, at a certain point in the ser- 
vice, after the reading of the Scriptures, it was the 
custom politely to invite strangers who happened 
to be present to address the meeting. They would 
not be slow to respond and that would open up the 
whole subject. Discussion would be aroused among 
the Jews ; the Gentiles would hear about it and send 
an invitation to Paul and his companions to address 
them also; there would be conversions and a sea- 
son of growing interest, followed in almost every 

130 



ACCLAIM AND PERSECUTION 131 

case by scenes of disorder. After that, the mission- 
aries were likely to find themselves in prison if they 
did not speedily "move on." 

In places where there was no synagogue the Apos- 
tles sought out some other spot where people 
gathered. It might be by the river side, or in a 
crowded market-place. Sometimes they preached 
to their fellow prisoners in jail; sometimes in the 
courtroom itself to officers and judges while their 
cases were being tried. 

They preached sermons to their own people too, 
not to convert, but to comfort and strengthen those 
who were already Christians. These occasions were 
not without emotion, (2) as we see in Acts 20 : 36-37 
when Paul took leave of the Ephesian elders. (3) 
Sometimes there was downright excitement. Read 
about the over-long sermon. (Acts 20:7-12) 

Comparatively early in Paul's ministry he and 
Barnabas found themselves on the island where 
Barnabas was born. (4) It was here that the con- 
test occurred with Bar- Jesus, which showed Paul's 
powers of leadership. (Read Acts 13 : 6-12.) Notice 
that in Acts 13 the name Paul is used for the first 
time. Heretofore it has been Saul. 

Then, (5) there is the account of the "special 
miracles' ' which led up to the burning of a great 
pile of books of magic in the square at Ephesus, — a 
most dramatic happening. (Acts 19:11-20) 

More dramatic still was the incident at Lystra, 
(6) when Paul and Barnabas were in danger of 
being worshiped as gods, to their intense dis- 



132 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

tress, (7) (Acts 14: 8-18) (8) followed by the quick 
change of sentiment which nearly resulted in Paul's 
death. (Acts 14:19-20) This may be made the 
chief lesson passage, if desired. 

It was not a monotonous life ! When, at intervals, 
they returned in safety to Antioch, there was great 
rejoicing. It did not matter that the Christians 
gathered in one of the poorest quarters of the city. 
Their joy was just as sincere as though they were 
rich and prosperous and the street near their place 
of meeting blossomed with humble garlands. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Incidents of Paul's Missionary Journeys. Some 
of the most picturesque are withheld for use 
in other lessons. The aim is to give enough, and 
those sufficiently varied, to show how adventurous 
the life was, and how it called for quick thinking and 
action, and brought out the best of every side of 
his nature. Refer to Adventure for God by Bishop 
Brent, in treating this side of modern missionary 
effort. 

Paul's Methods of Work. He was usually 
warmly greeted on arrival by the little band of 
Christians already established, and preached as long 
as he could. Sometimes several months elapsed 
before he had to "move on." He healed as well as 
taught if people came to him who needed the kind 
of help he could give. 

After a time his growing influence would arouse 



ACCLAIM AND PERSECUTION 133 

enmity and complaints would be lodged against 
him. 

Rent His Clothes. (Acts 14: 14) The Oriental 
peoples are demonstrative, and express their emo- 
tions by many symbolic acts. To indicate grief or 
indignant protest — the latter in Paul's case — it 
was customary to rend or tear the undergarments. 
See Num. 14: 6; Mark 14: 63. 

LESSON MOTTO 

"Adventures are for the adventurous." 

— Lord Beaconsfield. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XVIII 

1. 

How did Paul and his companions get their views before 
the people? 

You will find answers in Acts 17 : 1-5 ; Acts 17 : 17 ; and 
Acts 16 : 13. Elsewhere we learn that he preached in jail, 
and in the courtroom during his trials. 

2. 
Read us about Paul's farewell to the elders at Ephesus, 
found in Acts 20 : 36-37. 

3. 
Read us about the very long sermon described in Acts 20 : 
7-10. 

4. 
Tell us about Paul's contest with the magician, Bar- 
Jesus, recorded in Acts 13 : 6-12. 

5. 
Read us about the burning of the books of magic, from 
Acts 19 : 11-20. 



134 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

6. 
Tell us how Paul and Barnabas came to be acclaimed 
gods. Why especially Jupiter and Mercury? See Acts 
14:8-18. 

7. 
What does the story told in Acts 14 : 8-14 mean when it 
says that Paul and Barnabas "rent their clothes?" There 
are various references in the Bible to this queer old Jewish 
custom. See Num. 14 : 6 ; Mark 14 : 63. 

8. 
There is an account in Acts 14: 8-18 about what hap- 
pened to Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. A second chapter 
of the same story is told in the next two verses, Acts 14 : 
19-20. Read them to us, please. 



LESSON XIX 

WHAT CAME OF IT 
(Acts 19:23-40; 21:10-14) 

Sometimes Paul and his companion were able to 
stay several months in a place before trouble forced 
them to "move on." Let us see if we can find out 
why trouble was so sure to come in the end. 

(1) Possibly one reason lay in the fact that the 
most successful preachers in the new sect, Paul 
among them, were converted Jews. It was only 
human nature that the Jews should resent having 
the bravest and most brilliant of their young men go 
over to the despised Nazarenes. Very often self- 
interest on the part of merchants and business men 
stirred up strife. (2) This appears to have been 
the case in the rioting at Ephesus, led by Demetrius 
the silversmith. Read Acts 19:23-40. (3) Pos- 
sibly the leaders themselves did not realize what a 
large part fear of losing trade played in the day's 
uproar. (4) 

When trouble came Paul and his companions 
would be taken first before the authorities of the 
synagogue and accused. It was still a Jewish 
matter entirely. Up to the time of Nero, the Roman 
law took no notice of Christians as a religious body. 
' ' It was as safe to be a Christian as a Jew or idol- 

135 



136 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

ater, so far as the Roman government was con- 
cerned," says G. H. Gilbert. It was only after a dis- 
turbance had increased to the size of a small riot that 
the Roman police would feel it their duty to interfere 
and restore order, as they would have done in any 
other street riot. Paul was tried many times before 
Roman courts, but only once, so far as is known, 
was he charged in them with being a Christian, — and 
that time no attention was paid to it ! (Acts 24) 

Nero put Christians to death on the pretext that 
they had started the great fire in Rome; but the 
martyrs who lost their lives in the earlier years of 
the first century a. d. were victims of religious fa- 
naticism, usually among the Jews, and did not die 
because of Roman political persecution. 

There is an old saying that the blood of the mar- 
tyrs is the seed of the church. Persecution did not 
have the desired effect. "Mighty grew the word of 
God and prevailed." (Acts 19:20) There is some- 
thing in human nature which nerves itself to resist 
unjust treatment. We have seen this thing our- 
selves time and again. During the great war, 
scarcely a week passed that we were not thrilled by 
stories of " worthless " men and selfish, silly women 
who rose to magnificent heights of heroism. They 
found their great opportunity in cruel injustice. 
This instinct is so strong that sometimes even an 
unrighteous cause will flourish for a time if suffi- 
ciently persecuted. But in the end it will die out. 
People may be headstrong, but they are not suffi- 
ciently so to suffer continuously in a bad cause. 



WHAT CAME OF IT 137 

Nothing, however, can overcome a good cause. If 
suppressed in one form it reappears in another, 
and persecution merely tests the worth of a man's 
ideas. Perhaps that is the reason Gk)d allows evil 
to remain in the world. But this kind of speculation 
is too deep for us. 

Of this we may be sure, however, it is not actual 
suffering that counts, but the thing to which one 
looks forward on the other side of the suffering. 
I fancy that even the most devout did not enjoy 
being burned at the stake; but with the certainty 
of duty well done, of heaven just beyond the flame, 
what did they care for a few moments' pain? (5) 
"The sufferings of this present time are not worthy 
to be compared with the glory which shall be re- 
vealed in us," writes Paul. (Rom. 8:18) 

(6) A very picturesque and pathetic story is told 
in Acts 21: 10-14 about Agabus, the man with the 
clear vision, who had foretold the famine mentioned 
in Acts 11. Whether he made a journey to warn 
Paul of trouble awaiting him at Jerusalem, we do 
not know, but he met him in Caesarea and tried to 
dissuade him from going there. Eead Acts 21 : 10- 
11. 

All this opposition to Christianity very possibly 
did hasten its general acceptance. In the first cen- 
tury the gospel was doubtless preached in more 
places than would have been possible had it not been 
for this constant moving. And the riots and dis- 
turbance got it talked about, — gave it "publicity" 
as we should say to-day. 



138 PAUL DOING HIS WOKK 

(7) Paul, with his usual optimism, was sure that 
"all things work together for good to them that love 
God." (Rom. 8 : 28) "Now I would have you know, 
brethren," he once wrote when in prison, (8) (Phil. 
1: 12) "that the things which happened unto me 
have fallen out rather unto the progress of the 
gospel." 

SUGGESTIONS 

The Jews' Eistvy. Acts 13 : 45 and 17 : 5. 

Not Actual Suffering that Counts. Dentistry 
may be cited as a very common example of what we 
bear for the sake of future benefits. 

For mistaken values, — there are those decorative 
welts beloved of South Sea Islanders. These are 
the result of long and painful processes of tattooing. 

Then, — there are high heels ! 

LESSON MOTTO 
"But none of these things move me." Acts 20: 24. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XIX 

1. 

Can you find passages which indicate that the Jews were 
jealous of Paul's success? Look in the 13th and the 17th 
chapters of Acts. 

2. 

After Paul had persuaded the magicians of Ephesus to 
burn their books of magic, a riot broke out, led by a silver- 
smith. "What was his name, and what did he say? See 
Acts 19. 



WHAT CAME OF IT 139 

3. 

Do you believe Demetrius was moved entirely by religious 
motives, or that anxiety for business made him take the 
part he did in the incidents described in Acts 19 : 23-41 ? 
Or was it a mixture of both? 

4. 

Tell us about the town-clerk and what he said and tried 
to do during the riot at Ephesus described in Acts 19: 
23-41. 

5. 

What does Paul have to say about the respective merits 
of suffering and glory ? Rom. 8 : 18. 

6. 
Read us about Paul's friend Agabus, Acts 21: 10-14. 
Have we met him before ? 

7. 
How did Paul feel about the things which happened to 
him? Rom. 8:28. 

8. 
I have asked Number 7 to look up a text which shows 
how Paul felt about the happenings and misfortunes which 
befell him. Here is another reference of the same charac- 
ter : Philippians 1 : 12. Please have it ready when called 
for. 



LESSON XX 
WOMEN WHO BEFRIENDED PAUL 

Sometimes Paul's work in a city was brought to 
an abrupt close through a chance remark of a well- 
wisher who had not the faintest notion of doing him 
harm. Such appears to have been the case with the 
slave girl whose story is told in Acts 16: 16-24. 
(Read) It has a note of pathos in it, for the girl 
was not to blame, neither were the Apostles, yet all 
suffered. Ee-told in modern English it amounts to 
this: that after the slave girl saw Paul and Silas 
and became interested in them, she either could not 
bring herself to practise the tricks she had cleverly 
worked before, or else a strange hypnotic power left 
her. People who came to have their fortunes told 
went away dissatisfied. Trade fell off, her masters 
were angry, and had Paul and Silas put in prison. 

There were other women, many of them, whose 
friendship had no such disastrous results. We 
spoke last Sunday of Paul preaching by the river- 
side. It may have been in the fields, or in a sort of 
outdoor chapel, roofless and open to the sky, built 
especially for services of praise and prayer. Such 
a place is called in the Greek language Proseuch. 
A French writer translates this "oratories" and 

140 



WOMEN WHO BEFRIENDED PAUL 141 

tells us that the Jews loved to build them on the 
seashore or beside a stream, "to have facilities for 
ablutions. 9 ' 

Very likely it was in such a spot, made comfort- 
able by man and beautiful by the colors of sky and 
field and trees, that Lydia sat when she first heard 
Paul speak. (Read Acts 16: 13-14) She is said to 
have been his first European convert. Her name, 
like Florence or Virginia, was the name of a place 
as well as of a woman. She came from a town in 
the territory of Lydia, but was living at the time in 
Philippi; a comparatively rich woman, a dealer in 
dye stuffs, or in fabrics and garments colored the 
wonderful purple, really a rich red, which kings de- 
lighted to wear. Not very much is known about her, 
but the little that is known is distinctly pleasant. 
She was hospitable, of that we are sure; for after 
she and her family had been baptized she invited 
Paul and his friends to make their home with her. 
Indeed, Luke wrote, "she constrained us." 

Her house in Philippi became for that town just 
what the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, 
was in Jerusalem, a centre and meeting-place for 
Christians. Paul appears to have regarded the 
church at Philippi, of which she was such an im- 
portant member, with the utmost friendship and con- 
fidence. It was to them that he wrote from one of 
his imprisonments that letter which has been called 
•a " paean of joy," — the letter which contains, among 
other things, that bit of advice (Phil. 4:8) " Finally 
brethren, whatsoever things are true" and so on, 



142 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

about which we shall have more to say in another 
lesson. 

There were many other women for whom Paul 
felt especial respect and friendship. The letter 
known as II Timothy (1: 5) mentions with real 
affection "thy grandmother Lois and thy mother 
Eunice"; and Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, was as 
much esteemed by Paul and the church, as was her 
very worthy husband. There are writers who think 
we have never fully realized the debt Christianity 
owes to its women converts in the first century. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Women Converts in the Early Church. "Those 
most noble churches (Philippians and Thessalon- 
ians), made up from among the best women in 
each city, were incomparably the two greatest 
conquests Christianity had yet made. The Jewish 
women were submissive and retiring; took little 
part in public worship, and were seldom con- 
verted to another faith. . . . The Greek women, 
weary of goddesses brandishing their spears upon 
the Acropolis ; the virtuous wife turning her back on 
a wornout paganism, and searching for a pure faith, 
were greatly drawn to it. Next to the little band of 
Galileans who followed and served Jesus, Lydia and 
Phoebe, and the unknown pious women of Philippi 
and Thessalonica are the real saints to whom the 
new faith is indebted for a most rapid progress.' ' 

— Kenan's St. Paul, p. 165. 



WOMEN WHO BEFRIENDED PAUL 143 

Book of Reference Useful in the Lesson. Has- 
tings' Dictionary of the Apostolic Church. 

Deaconesses had a wonderful opportunity to 
carry help and the word of God among the poor and 
unfortunate. They were called " sisters " as they 
are to-day. At first they were chosen from among 
the widows. Later, unmarried women also did this 
work. 

The Christian Church did much to better the posi- 
tion of women. Widows, especially childless widows, 
had been treated up to that time with little or 
no respect. "In this new society they might 
become women of influence, loved like mothers. 
Christianity made saints of them," says Re- 
nan. 

Paul on Women's Dress and Conduct. See 
I Cor. 11 : 2-16. This passage, besides the allu- 
sions to Priscilla (nearly always mentioned in 
the New Testament before her husband) and to 
Philip's daughters, who were prophetesses, shows 
that women did speak and pray in public Christian 
meeting. The injunction that they keep silence in 
the churches (I Cor. 14:34-35) is almost certainly 
an interpolation by a scribe into Paul's text. The 
words and the sentiment are not his. 

Paul evidently did not approve of women who 
made themselves conspicuous. It was not customary 
at that time for women of good position to go un- 
veiled in public, — hence his remarks about uncovered 
heads. "It was bad enough socially to be a Chris- 



144 PAUL DOING HIS WOEK 

tian, without adding to the offense by eccentric be- 
havior." — Mrs. N. B. Paul. 

LESSON MOTTO 

" Those graceful acts 

Those thousand decencies that daily flow 
From all her words and actions. " 

—Milton. 



QUESTIONS, LESSON XX 

"With this lesson the following variation of the usual 
routine has proved a success : The ■ ' question' ' is given out 
in this form : 

Let us have a little competition next Sunday. Today we 
will draw lots for sides, four on a side, the object being 
to see which side can find the largest number of names of 
women mentioned in Acts and in the Epistles. When we 
meet next Sunday we will compare our lists, and see, not 
only which side has the most names, but how the women 
mentioned fall into groups, such as : 

Queens and Wives of Rulers. 

Historical Characters, like the mothers of Abraham's 
children, who lived centuries before Paul, *but are men- 
tioned by him or by other writers of New Testament let- 
ters. 

Women of the Early Church. 

Chapter numbers, not verse numbers, are given. You 
need only look in the chapters indicated, for it would be 
too maich to expect you to search through all of Acts and 



WOMEN WHO BEFRIENDED PAUL 145 

all of Paul ? s letters during busy school days. Even in this 
way there are a good many references. It is suggested that 
each side choose a leader who shall divide and assign the 
tasks and the responsibility. In that way each individual 
need only be responsible for seven or eight chapters. 

There are sometimes several names in a chapter. On the 
other hand the same people may be referred to in several 
different places. About a few names you may be uncertain 
whether they are names of men or women, — all of which 
ought to make the contest more interesting. 

There are some references to women not mentioned by 
name. We will count these when it is evident that they re- 
fer to women of Paul 's time. 



5 


Acts 16 


Romans 


i 4 


II Tim. 1 


6 


17 




16 


3 


7 


18 


I Cor. 


1 


4 


8 


21 


Gal. 


1 


Titus 2 


9 


23 




4 


Philemon 1 


12 


24 


Phil. 


4 


Col. 3 


13 


25 
26 


I Tim. 


. 2 


4 
Hebrews 11 



The leaders assign one group of references to each indi- 
vidual. In this way each side searches through the entire 
number. 

Most of the lesson period is spent in checking up and 
comparing the lists brought in; in discussing who is who 
and what is what. 

It is apt to prove lively and to end in a distinctly better 
acquaintance with the women of the New Testament. 



LESSON XXI 

PAUL'S LIBERAL MIND 
(Philemon, entire) 

Paul was naturally broad-minded and generous. 
He liked people and preferred to believe good things 
about them. A French writer has said, "He was 
persuaded that people were naturally Christian, and 
that the authorities prevented them from following 
this natural bent." 

As a key to this admirable trait of his, we are 
going to study his letter to Philemon ; the shortest 
and, from a theological standpoint, the least impor- 
tant of his epistles. So unimportant is it, indeed, 
that it was not even included in early lists of PauPs 
writings. You have all been asked to read it. 
Doubtless you thought it stupid. Let us Idok at it 
again. Perhaps we may change our minds. 

It was long believed to have been written toward 
the close of Paul's life, while he was a prisoner in 
Rome. Many scholars believe now that this letter, 
and also Philippians and Colossians, were probably 
written from Ephesus. The first thing that strikes 
us is its cheerfulness. In the course of the letter 
Paul makes a little joke (did you find it?) and he is 
so hopeful of regaining his liberty that he asks his 

146 



PAUL'S LIBERAL MIND 147 

friend Philemon to prepare lodgings for him, i.e. get 
ready the guest-room. 

Philemon appears to have been a well-to-do citizen 
of Colossse, about 90 miles from Ephesus, up in the 
foothills. He owned goods that were worth stealing, 
and at least one slave, who had apparently taken 
some of his master's belongings. This slave's name 
was Onesimus. He had fled, and in his wanderings 
had in some way come under Paul's influence. 

Here we must stop for a moment to consider what 
slavery meant in that day, or we cannot understand 
either the letter or Paul's state of mind. " Outside 
of Palestine," says W. B. Wright, "slavery was 
universal. ' ' Slaves did the work of city and country. 
Laws afforded them no protection. Indeed, they 
were scarcely regarded as human. Nobody thought 
it wrong or unjust for one man to deprive another 
of his liberty and his earnings. Even Paul seems 
to have seen nothing vicious in the system. In Col. 
3 : 22-25 he lays down this rule for servants : 
"Servants, obey in all things them that are your 
masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, 
as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing 
the Lord : whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto 
the Lord, and not unto men ; knowing that from the 
Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the 
inheritance : ye serve the Lord Christ. For he that 
doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that 
he hath done: and there is no respect of persons." 

This is the interesting point in Paul's attitude. 
He believed that a man might be a slave ' ' according 



148 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

to the flesh" and yet have a soul as good and as well 
worth saving as the soul of a king; in other words, 
that all men were equal before the Lord. The 
usual feeling at that time was very different. 
People not only scorned slaves, — they were afraid of 
them. Perhaps it was a case of guilty conscience. 
There were such vast numbers of slaves that it was 
thought possible to keep them in subjection only 
through fear. So they were treated with unbeliev- 
able cruelty. While Paul was a prisoner in Rome 
a slave killed his master, Pedonius, who owned four 
hundred slaves, many of them women and children. 
The law ordained that in such a case all the slaves of 
the murdered man should be slaughtered. A pro- 
posal was made to spare the children in this in- 
stance; whereupon one of the ablest Senators made 
an impassioned speech of protest and all four hun- 
dred, men, women, and children, were put to death. 

Laws not only permitted such treatment of slaves, 
they were very severe against people who aided run- 
away slaves. To feed or shelter or conceal one was 
to incur the penalty of death. Paul knew this well 
enough, but it made no difference in his treatment of 
Onesimus. He received him, instructed him, and in 
time accepted him as a member of the church. 

But he also made him see that as a Christian equal 
of kings he had duties as well as privileges. It was 
"up to him" to go back to Colossae and surrender 
himself to his master ; an acid test of character and 
repentance, for of course the slave had forfeited his 
life by running away. Even if Philemon magnani- 



PAUL'S LIBERAL MIND 149 

mously refrained from killing him, he could make 
life very unpleasant for him. As a slight punish- 
ment he might break his legs. Undoubtedly Paul 
had his own idea of what the Christian master was 
likely to do; but to make things easier for all con- 
cerned, he wrote this letter, which is really charm- 
ing, and most adroit ! 

After greetings to Philemon, to his wife, and to 
the church which met in their home, he passes to 
tactful praise of the character of Philemon, showing 
in this way how much he expects. Then he inter- 
cedes for the slave; and here comes the little joke. 
The meaning of the name Onesimus is "profitable": 
but, as Paul points out in, something very like a pun, 
Onesimus has proved anything but a profitable 
servant. He suggests, however, that he may have 
been removed for a season in order that he might 
return in the new character of a Christian, "not now 
as a servant, (bondservant, i. e. slave) but above a 
servant, — as a brother beloved." (Philemon, verse 
16) 

Paul calls Onesimus his own son. (Verse 10) 
"If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him 
as myself" he says. "If he hath wronged thee, or 
oweth thee aught, put that to my account." Then, 
taking the pen from his secretary, (for Paul usually 
dictated his letters) he adds : "I Paul have written 
it with my own hand. I will repay it. ' ' This made 
it a legal document in case either side wished to con- 
sider it such. But it is clear Paul does not believe 
Philemon will ever demand payment, since he adds : 



150 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

"Albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto 
me even thine own self besides. " Philemon was 
also apparently one of Paul's converts. Then he 
sends off the letter by the hand of the slave, "having 
confidence" he tells Philemon "that thou wilt also 
do more than I say. ' ' 

Paul valued his Roman citizenship highly. More 
than once it served him in good stead; but he did 
not in the least object to being called a slave of 
Christ. "I bear branded on my body the marks of 
Jesus,' ' he wrote. (Gal. 6: 17) The "marks" are 
the owner 's stamp branded on the slave. 

He did not criticise the law of the land or seek to 
evade it. "We know that the law is good if a man 
use it lawfully," it is said in I Tim. 1 : 8. Probably 
he thought those cruel slave laws had been made in 
an effort to maintain order. It might have been 
necessary to execute the Roman slave who killed his 
master ; just as it is thought necessary in most places 
to execute murderers to-day; but certainly it was 
not necessary to kill four hundred people, including 
little children, to avenge one crime, or to keep the 
slaves in subjection. 

Do you not find the letter more interesting now? 
It shows the justice and breadth of Paul's mind; 
that he was at once a man of his time and centuries 
in advance of it. 

It is comparatively easy to be liberal-minded about 
something which does not concern one very closely, 
in which personal feelings and fortunes are not 
involved. It was easier for Paul, the free man and 



PAUL'S LIBERAL MIND 151 

Eoman citizen, to see the reciprocal rights and 
duties of masters and slaves than it might have been 
had he been a slave himself. But there were other 
subjects, of very personal concern to him, about 
which he showed equal breadth of view. Some of 
these we are to consider in future lessons. He was 
a man of great sympathy, which made it possible 
for him to imagine himself in another man's place; 
a power which helped immensely in his work. It 
did not blind his judgment of what was true and 
right, but it did enable him to understand the people 
among whom he labored. 

" Prove all things; hold fast to that which is 
good," (I Thes. 5: 21) was Paul's rule, a rule of the 
open mind, which is as good today as it was in the 
year he sent Onesimus back to throw himself upon 
the honorable mercy of the master "in the flesh" he 
had so wronged. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Treatment of Slaves. Here is another story: 
"When a certain slave slew with a small spear, 
single-handed, a boar so fierce that the hunt- 
ers dared not face it, and thereby saved the 
lives of some of them, his Roman master had 
him crucified for carrying a weapon; and Cic- 
ero remarked that perhaps the master had 
been a little harsh, but he would not venture an 
opinion. When a slave was cut into mincemeat 
and thrown to the eels for dropping a glass goblet, 



152 PAUL DOING HIS WOEK 

no indignation was expressed by the guests at 
the banquet. ' ' Wm. Burnet Wright, Cities of Paul, 
p. 176. 

Points to Bring Out. That Paul believed that 
both master and slave had duties and responsibil- 
ities in the matter. 

That Paul's attitude in regard to slavery was far 
in advance of his own day, but behind that of the 20th 
century. 

His ability to see things broadly and clearly. 

Ask class whether they think Philemon did receive 
Onesimus kindly or harshly. Dr. Clayton E. 
Bowen says the answer is found in the fact that 
the letter is printed in the New Testament as a 
precious possession of Christians. 

Show that Philemon and Colossians were written 
at the same time to the same town. Tychicus carried 
the letter to the church, and stood sponsor for 
Onesimus, who bore the note to Philemon. See the 
kindly reference to Onesimus in Col. 4 : 7-9. 

Eeadiistg. Several novels have been written about 
Onesimus. One of them, Onesimus, by E. A. Abbott, 
might be used at a " party' 9 about this* time with 
interest and good effect. 

SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION 
Psychological effect upon people of expecting 
them to do right. 

LE8S0N MOTTO 

"Virtue could see to do what virtue would, by her own 
radiant light. ' ' —Milton. 



PAUL'S LIBERAL MIND 153 

QUESTION, LESSON XXI 

Next Sunday we are to study Paul's letter to Philemon. 
Please read it before coming to class; and be prepared to 
tell us why you think it was chosen for a lesson; and 
whether it seems to you important. 

Any outside information you can bring about slavery in 
those days, — for instance, whether it was widespread, and 
how slaves were treated, — will be welcome. Perhaps you 
can find the story of the way Epictetus was treated by his 
master. 

Because the letter is somewhat obscure, it is only fair to 
tell you that Onesimus was a runaway slave who had for- 
merly belonged to Philemon. 



LESSON XXII 

PAUL, APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES 

(Acts 15:1-35) 

Last time we considered Paul's liberal mind as 
revealed in his letter to Philemon. It was this same 
liberality, developing in other ways, which gives him 
his great place in history, — not alone the history of 
the Christian church, but of the secular world as 
well. Our everyday world would be a far different 
place had the new faith remained what it was at 
the time Jesus died, a sect of Judaism. Paul's in- 
sistence that Gentiles as well as Jews might accept 
the new faith made a world religion of it. 

(1) Jesus had lived and died a good Jew. His 
purpose had not been to found a new religion, but to 
purify and spiritualize the old one. After his death 
his disciples continued his work, chiefly among Jews. 
But there had been converts to the Jewish faith from 
among "Gentiles," as the Jews called ail "for- 
eigners." Some of these had become as Jewish 
as possible by fulfilling every detail of Jewish law; 
others contented themselves with fulfilling a part. 
All are allowed to worship in the temple, but these 
last could enter only into its outer courts and were 
called "Proselytes of the Gate." Some of these, 
particularly the Greeks among them, took a great 

154 



PAUL, APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES 155 

interest in the story of Jesus and his teachings as 
explained by the Apostles and seemed very ready to 
become members of this latest sect. The Jews 
who had become Christians demurred, however, and 
maintained that only those who had fulfilled every 
detail of Jewish law might enter the new brother- 
hood. 

It seems absurd now that such a question should 
ever have been of vital interest. It is a little easier 
to understand when we remember that for centuries 
the Jews had looked upon themselves as a chosen 
people, especially favored of God. Here were inter- 
lopers, pushing themselves in and claiming all the 
benefits of this divine favor, without being prepared 
to make the customary sacrifices. It was resented 
as we would resent seeing people claim everything 
without being willing to pay for their privileges. 

The difference at issue between the two parties 
was a good deal like the difference between our 
church with its simple service and broad welcome to 
all, no matter how they may have worshiped 
before, provided they love God and sincerely desire 
to make the world better, compared with more 
formal denominations, which feel that there must be 
fasts and saints 1 days, and altars and vestments and 
candles, for any true worship of God. Most of those 
leaders in the church who had been born Jews 
naturally leaned toward the narrower Jewish view. 
(2) It is true that Peter had his vision upon the 
housetop, in consequence of which he became for 
a time more liberal; but he was an impulsive man, 



156 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

easily influenced by those about him, and on the 
whole he decided it was best to keep to the conserv- 
ative side. 

On the other hand, Paul, (3) who had been brought 
up a Pharisee, knew that the law by itself was 
powerless to make men either religious or merciful. 
He respected law as much as anyone, (4) but was 
inclined to interpret it with common sense. (5) 
Besides, his education in Tarsus had taught him 
more about the best ideals of the Greeks and Eomans 
than his peasant confreres knew; while his sympa- 
thetic imagination made it easy for him to appreciate 
the "barbarian" point of view. He was willing to 
accept the best from all sources, and to let un- 
important details sink into the obscurity they 
deserved. (6) "I am debtor both to the Greeks and 
to the Barbarians, both to the wise and to the un- 
wise, ' ' he wrote in Romans 1 : 14 ; and he evidently 
felt sure God would be as liberal as himself. (7) 
"Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable 
for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruc- 
tion which is in righteousness. ' ? This is a sentiment 
thoroughly in line with his belief, though it is not 
likely Paul wrote the words. (II Tim. 3:16) He 
believed this so fully that when addressing audiences 
of Greeks he quoted their own poets to confirm the 
Christian truths he preached. (8) "The letter 
killeth," he said, "but the spirit giveth life." (II 
Cor. 3:6) 

His strong feeling culminated in a vision which 



PAUL, APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES 157 

showed him a man of Macedonia beseeching him to 
1 i Come over into Macedonia and help us!'* (Acts 
16:9) This meant nothing less than: Come out 
of Asia and tell your story of Christ in Europe. 
That would be preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles 
indeed ! 

We do not know the exact time at which he became 
convinced that his work was to be among foreigners. 
One of his speeches indicates that he came to the 
belief very early in his ministry. 

His decided views and actions could not fail to 
arouse comment. The fifteenth chapter of Acts 
informs us that Paul and Barnabas had dissention 
and disputation with the conservative party; and 
that on their return from their first long missionary 
journey they were called to a conference at Jeru- 
salem to give an account of themselves. Paul's de- 
scription of this gathering, in Gal. 2 : 1-10, is more 
accurate than that in Acts 15. Many of the notable 
men of the church were there to hear them speak. 
Warm-hearted Peter rose and recounted again his 
vision upon the housetop, and ended by asking the 
conference in so many words. "Why tempt ye God 
to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples ?" (Acts 
15: 10) "Then all the multitude kept silence, and 
gave audience to Barnabas and Paul declaring what 
miracles and wonders God had wrought among the 
Gentiles by them. " (Verse 12) James, the brother 
of Jesus, who presided at this conclave, summed up 
the sense of the meeting to be "that we trouble not 



158 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

them which from among the Gentiles are turned to 
God" by laying unnecessary commands upon them. 
(Acts 15:19) 

So Paul went out upon his second missionary 
journey feeling that he had the approval of the 
church authorities as well as of his own conscience. 



SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION 

Difference between letter and spirit. 

How much Paul's early life in Tarsus had to do 
with permitting him to understand the Gentile point 
of view. 

LESSON MOTTO 

"For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are 
sons of God." Rom. 8: 14. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XXII 

1. 

Christ started a new religion ; but in thinking over what 
you have learned about his life, do you believe he ever 
thought of himself except as a loyal Jew, observing all the 
necessary Jewish laws and commandments? 

2. 
Recall to us in a few words Peter's vision on the house- 
top. You remember we studied it in a lesson about Thanks- 
giving time. See Acts 10 : 9-16. 

3. 

Can you tell us in what Jewish sect Paul had been 
trained ? 



PAUL, APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES 159 

4. 

Because of Paul's upbringing he had an intimate ac- 
quaintance with Jewish law. So had other writers of New 
Testament epistles. What does I Tim. 1 : 8 say about law ? 

5. 

We read in I Tim. 1 : 8 that law was good if used law- 
fully. What did Jesus say to show that he also thought 
laws and rules were not to be considered an end in them- 
selves, but merely a means to an end? His words are 
found in Mark 2 : 23-28. 

6. 

Being better educated than the majority of the apostles, 
Paul could see the good in other kinds of learning as well 
as in the lore of the Jews. What did he say about his debt 
to the learning of other races ? See Romans 1 : 14. 

7. 
I have asked Number 6 to look up a reference in Romans 
to show how Paul regarded the learning of other races than 
his own. Here is another reference bearing on the same 
subject. Please have it ready when called for. II Tim. 
3:16. 

8. 
What do you think Paul meant when he wrote: "The 
letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life"? II Cor. 3:6. 



LESSON XXXII 

"ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN" 
(I Cor. 9 : 19-23 ; Gal. 2 : 7, 8 ; Acts 18 : 24-28) 

(1) The Mosaic Law as we have it in the Old 
Testament was by no means all of the law by which 
the Jews regulated their daily life. (2) There were 
the traditions of the elders and the teachings of the 
rabbis. This material was later put in written form 
and known as the Talmuds, of Jerusalem and of 
Babylon, full of minute rules about every im- 
aginable thing: — about the kinds of food which 
might be eaten and the kinds that must not be 
touched; how far a man was permitted to walk on 
the Sabbath day ; what he might do with the top of 
a ladder on that day, provided the bottom was not 
moved from its place upon the ground, and a thou- 
sand equally trivial details which made life difficult 
and complicated for zealous Pharisees. 

(3) To Paul such things seemed of no consequence 
at all. He had a good deal to say about the liberty 
he enjoyed through his belief in Christ; (4) but he 
was very careful to draw a distinction between what 
it was lawful for him to do, and what it was wise 
and best to do. (I Cor. 6 : 12) Which, being trans- 
lated into unscriptural words of common sense and 
social courtesy, and applied to ourselves, (5) simply 

160 



"ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN" 161 

means that we should have due consideration for the 
people with whom we come in contact, — even for 
their prejudices, — and take mighty good care not to 
do anything which will make it harder for them to 
live the kind of life they ought to live. 

"All things are lawful for me, but all things are 
not expedient," Paul writes. (I Cor. 10: 23) He is 
very specific. In the 27th verse of the same chapter 
he gives a rule for behavior when going out to din- 
ner. "If any of them that believe not bid you to 
a feast, and ye be disposed to go ; whatsoever is set 
before you, eat, asking no question for conscience 
sake." "But," he adds, immediately, "if any man 
say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, 
eat not, for his sake that showed it." And in Ro- 
mans: "For meat destroy not the work of God. 
All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that 
man who eateth with offence." (Rom. 14:20) "I 
know and am persuaded . . . that there is nothing 
unclean of itself ; . . . But if thy brother be grieved 
with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably." 
(Rom. 14 : 14-15) "Let us not therefore judge one 
another any more; but judge this rather, that no 
man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in 
his brother's way." (Rom. 14: 13) 

(6) Paul's own personal rule of conduct he ex- 
plained in I Cor. 9 :19-23. "For though I be free from 
all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, 
that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews 
I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews ; to 
them that are under the law, as under the law that 



162 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

I might gain them that are under the law: to them 
that are without law, as without law, (being not 
without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) 
that I might gain them that are without law. To 
the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the 
weak ; I am made all things to all men, that I might 
by all means save some. And this I do for the 
gospel's sake." (7) 

This phrase "All things to all men" has become 
so interwoven with the memory of Paul, that the 
words leap to mind when.ever his name is men- 
tioned. (8) 

As time went on he devoted himself more and 
more to work among the Gentiles, while Peter 
labored among the Jews. "The gospel of the un- 
circumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel 
of the circumcision was unto Peter," he wrote. 
"For he that wrought effectually in Peter . . . the 
same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles." 
(Gal. 2:7, 8) 

Other preachers had large followings. The 
Church in Corinth split into various factions, each 
upholding a favorite teacher. One of these factions 
championed Paul, another Apollos, an eloquent Jew 
of Alexandria, who had become a follower of John 
the Baptist, and was converted and instructed by 
Priscilla and Aquila. (Acts 18: 24-28) Paul has a 
good deal to say about him in I Cor. 3. Paul was 
broad-minded enough not to care who got the praise 
so long as God's work was done. "Who then is 
Paul," he wrote rather impatiently, "and who is 



"ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN" 163 

Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed? . . . 
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the 
increase. " 

And again: "What then'f Only that in every 
way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is pro- 
claimed ; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." 
(Phil. 1: 18) They appear to have differed in opin- 
ion at times, as well as in styles of oratory, as we 
see in I Cor. 16 : 12. 

SUGGESTIONS 

All Things to all Men. At one time Paul 
deliberately associated himself with a band of Jews 
who were under a vow to sacrifice daily in the 
temple for a certain number of days. He did not 
wish to be thought an enemy of their religious prac- 
tices. 

Apollos. Contracted from Apollonius. An Al- 
exandrian Jew who, after Paul's first visit to Cor- 
inth, worked there. Later he was with Paul at 
Ephesus. He spoke and taught with power and 
success, (Acts 18:24-28) and may have captivated 
his hearers by teaching wisdom in the allegorical 
style of Philo. Evidently he was a man of force and 
magnetism. Martin Luther and others believed him 
to be the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. 
(Encyclopaedia Britannica.) 

SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION 
Consideration for the feelings of others. 



164 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

LESSON MOTTO 

"Be many-sided, but four-square with the world.' ' 

— Theodore Roosevelt. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XXIII 



Can you tell us in what books of the Bible we may find 
the old Jewish law ? 

2. 

In addition to the Law of Moses, the lives of the Jews in 
Bible times were regulated by a great mass of rules and 
customs. Can you tell us what these were called ? Look in 
any good encyclopaedia under "Talmud." This will prob- 
ably give you two other names of six letters each, one be- 
ginning with M and one with G. 

3. 

Can you tell us how Paul felt about his own obligation 
toward living strictly according to the Jewish law? See 
I Cor. 6:12. 

4. 

Did Paul feel that because he had a right to do certain 
things if he chose, he was at liberty to do them? See I 
Cor. 10 : 23. 

5. 

In I Corinthians 10 : 24 there is- an admonition which 
reads in the King James version, "Let no man seek his own, 
but every man another 's wealth. ' ' In the Eevised Version 
it is given "Let no man seek his own, but each his neigh- 
bor's good." Which do you think is as Paul meant it 
to be? 

6. 

"What do you think Paul meant when he said "I am made 
all things to all men?" (I Cor. 9:22) 



"ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN" 165 

7. 

In Romans 14: 7 and 13 we find a thought that Paul 
seemed to consider very important. Does it seem to an- 
swer rather directly the question Cain asked in Gen. 4:9? 

8. 
Jesus taught in his parable of the steward and his ser- 
vants that "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him 
shall much be required." Is this the lesson that Paul 
teaches in Romans 15:1? How does he put it ? 



LESSON XXIV 

"CALL TO BEMEMBEANCE THE FOEMEE 

DAYS" 

{Note. This lesson was prepared for use on February 22d. If not 
desired at that time, the portion relating to the Epistle to the 
Hebrews may be used with Lessons 32 and 33) 

For this patriotic anniversary we take our lesson 
from the Epistle to the Hebrews, because it contains 
so many verses and words that have to do with his- 
tory, — words which might indeed almost have been 
written about Washington himself. 

But first let us consider the book as a whole. (1) 
Nobody knows the name of its author, or exactly 
when it was written. It has been called "a literary 
riddle." Though printed with Paul's epistles, it 
is quite certain that Paul did not write it; and 
equally certain that the person who did write it was 
a man of piety and brains and experience. It is 
believed that it was written to the Christians in 
Rome probably toward the end of the First Century, 
by a brilliant and scholarly teacher well known to 
them, though his name has been lost to us. At that 
time the Church in Eome was in need of just such 
a message to arouse its eagerness and confidence, 
and nerve it to meet a second period of persecution 
which was soon to come upon it. 

Hebrews contains some of the most beautiful and 

166 



CALL TO REMEMBRANCE 167 

effective passages to be found in all this section of 
the Bible. They begin indeed with its very first 
verse: "God, who at sundry times and in divers 
manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the 
prophets,'' or as the Revised Version has it, "God, 
having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the 
prophets by divers portions and in divers man- 
ners." And the book ends with that beautiful 
apostolic benediction we so often hear pronounced 
at the end of a modern church service: "Now tne 
God of peace, who brought again from the dead the 
great shepherd of the sheep . . . make you perfect 
in every good thing to do his will, working in us 
that which is well pleasing in his sight.". . . 

The whole book is an argument to show how supe- 
rior the Christian way of belief is to the old law of 
Moses ; but how, really, it is no new or revolution^ 
ary thing, only a development and outgrowth of that 
law, which was fulfilled and came to its natural end 
when Christ was born. 

This argument is upheld by many references to 
history. (2) As we have already learned, citing his- 
tory was a favorite method of argument with the 
Jews. You remember, back in Acts 5 : 34-39, how 
the good priest Gamaliel, Paul's beloved professor, 
advised against persecuting the new sect of Naza- 
renes, and recalled incidents of Jewish history to 
show that the teaching of false prophets, left to 
itself, would die out because there was no good 
in it. 

If we look through the early chapters of Acts (3) 



168 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

we find in almost every summary of a sermon by 
Peter or Stephen or Philip, that they cited history 
to prove their points. Paul did it constantly; and 
in this book of Hebrews, by an unknown writer, 
there are more than fifty quotations from the Old 
Testament, more from the Prophets than from either 
the Psalms or the books of the Law. 

The idea underlying all this appeal to the past is 
that history, being the record of what men did and 
what happened to them, shows God's dealings with 
the human race. (4) "Every house is builded by 
someone; but he that built all things is God," says 
this writer in Hebrews 3 : 4. (5) The same thing 
is expressed in II Timothy, "Every scripture in- 
spired of God is also profitable for teaching, for re- 
proof, for correction, for instruction," (II Tim. 
3: 16) and in Romans: "Whatsoever things were 
written aforetime were written for our learning, 
that through patience and through comfort of the 
Scriptures we might have hope." (Rom. 15 : 4) 

If the ancient Jews had reason to recall their 
history for comfort and warning, it behooves us no 
less to recall ours. And looked at in this sense our 
history goes back a long way. 

Paul, for instance, had much to say about the 
glorious liberty of the sons of God; but he did not 
say one word to show that this liberty which made 
a true Christian independent of riches and position 
and even of prison bars, did anything to free him 
from responsibility toward his fellow men. Another 
of Paul's ideas was that kings and slaves were equal 



CALL TO REMEMBRANCE 169 

in the sight of God. That idea is accepted no^jpby all 
Christian nations, in theory at least, though in 
practice there are still many actions which show how 
far we are from our ideal. But about 1500 years 
rolled by after the death of Paul, and after the 
Epistle to the Hebrews had been written, before any 
considerable body of men undertook the experiment 
of governing a nation according to this Christian 
notion of equality, — the idea that poor and rich had 
certain equal rights. When they did try it they 
had to manufacture a new nation for the purpose. 
So, by a long but not illogical road, we come to our 
own American history, which we should not fail to 
"call to remembrance ' 9 on this day of all days in 
the year. 

Did it ever occur to you what a miracle the win- 
ning of our American War of the Revolution was, 
looked at purely from the worldly point of view? 
At that time there were not as many white people 
in the whole region from Maine to Florida as now 
live in New York City. The few actually here were 
not near together, either in body or in mind, but were 
scattered in little isolated groups from New England 
down to the northern limit of Florida, each group 
living by itself in a wilderness, through which there 
was scarcely any means of travel. It was not harm- 
less empty wilderness either, but was infested by 
savages whose enmity was terrifying. 

Worse still, for purposes of making a new nation, 
the interests of these little groups were not at all 
the same. New England's prosperity depended 



170 PAUL DOING HIS WOEK 

upon fisheries, and upon her trade with Europe. 
The South raised tobacco, and cared nothing for the 
fish off the Banks of Newfoundland. So, the laws 
and regulations which were beneficial to one region 
were positively harmful to another. All that the 
different colonies held in common were " lacks.' ' 
There was hardly a manufactory in all America. 
When the war began the colonies had practically no 
supplies for carrying on their campaigns: no cloth 
to clothe the soldiers ; no ammunition for their guns. 
Indeed they had no soldiers in the modern sense, 
for the men came together voluntarily, for very 
short periods of time, then melted away again. 
The size of Washington's army at one day was no 
guide whatever to the number of men he might 
expect to answer roll-call two or three weeks 
later. 

And these people had set out to win their freedom 
from the most powerful nation of Europe, owning 
the greatest navy on earth ! 

Truly, the winning of that war was a triumph of 
faith. Faith of Washington in his men; faith of 
commander and men in their ideals. But how sorely 
that faith was tried, and how near, many times, 
they came to failure, possibly high-school students 
have not yet had time to find out. It is a thrilling 
story; and even with the visible proof of our great 
nation before us, it sometimes seems incredible that 
it could have happened as it did. 

Like the early Christians, those who first took 
an interest in the revolutionary movement and 



CALL TO EEMEMBRANCE 171 

joined it were mainly poor people who had little 
to lose in any event, and much to gain if the cause 
succeeded. The well-to-do, who had most to venture, 
held back. Washington, however, was one of the 
richest men in the colonies. He risked everything, 
and had apparently little to gain. He was con- 
vinced of the righteousness and justice of his cause, 
as Paul had been of his, and thinking only of that, he 
took a big chance, with the possibility of losing life 
itself. 

(6) The success of the Revolution was due in 
large measure to Washington's patience and steady 
perseverance in the course he thought right. (7) 
People murmured against him, just as they mur- 
mured against Moses, and against every great 
leader who has led his nation through trials. 

In the Bible, and all through secular history, we 
read stories about men and nations who are spoiled 
by success, — who become selfish and unmindful of 
their obligations to others after some great bless- 
ing has come to them. It was to correct this tend- 
ency in. human nature that the old Jews laid such 
stress upon reading and remembering history. (8) 
This is one of the Jewish practices that we would 
do well to imitate. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Washington's Liberal Eeligious Views. Writ- 
ing to Lafayette, Washington confessed that he 
was quite willing to allow others to follow "that 



172 PAUL DOING HIS WORK 

road to Heaven which to them shall seem the most 
direct, easiest, and least liable to exception." 

Patience. Lay stress on Washington's patience; 
and upon patience as an element in success. Sev- 
eral of the texts assigned in the lesson questions 
have to do with patience. 

Here is what Franklin said about patience: "He 
that can have patience can have what he will. ' ? 

An Oriental proverb: "Patience and a mulberry 
leaf made a silk dress." 

An Arabian Proverb: "Patience is the key of 
relief." 

Descriptive Texts. The passages referred to in 
lesson questions 6 and 7 are, respectively, Heb. 6 : 13 
and Heb. 7:4. If questions such as these are con- 
sidered ill-advised, an Old Testament reference to 
Moses the Leader may be substituted for number 6, 
and for number 7 a parallel or a contrast between 
Moses and Washington may be asked for. 

LESSON MOTTO 
"By the work we know the workman.' ' — La Fontaine 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XXIV 

1. 

Does anybody know who wrote the Epistle to the He- 
brews ? What is its probable date ? 

You can find the answer in a good encyclopaedia. 

2. 

Jewish preachers seem to have been in the habit of quot- 






CALL TO REMEMBBANCE 173 

ing Scripture — not alone the Law and the Prophets, but 
the historical books as well. Had Paul been taught to do 
this? Reasoning from what we find in Acts 5, where 
Paul's teacher Gamaliel is quoted in regard to another 
matter, it seems fair to assume that he used the same 
methods in conducting his classes. 

3. 

Please run through the first thirteen chapters of Acts 
and see how many of the great teachers, like Peter and 
Stephen, quoted Jewish Scriptures or referred to some bit 
of Jewish history in their sermons. 

4. 

We find expressed in many places in the Bible the idea 
that history is the record of God 's dealings with men. See 
if you can find this idea (in figurative language) in one of 
the early verses of the third chapter of Hebrews. 

5. 

In the last part of the third chapter of Second Timothy, 
and in the first part of the fifteenth chapter of Romans, is 
expressed the belief that the study of history is a good 
thing. See if you can find the two references, and have 
them ready to read when called for. 

6. 

Not because anything in Hebrews could have been writ- 
ten with George Washington in mind, but because it is an 
interesting thing to do on the 22d of February, please look 
through the sixth chapter of Hebrews and see if you can 
find a verse which might be applied to what happened to 
him. 

7. 
See if you can find anything in the first part of the 



174 PAUL DOING HIS WOKK 

seventh chapter of Hebrews which might serve as a descrip- 
tion of George Washington. 

8. 
In reading history we come upon many stories of in- 
dividuals and even of nations who are spoiled by success, — 
who are selfish and forgetful of others after some great 
good fortune has come to them. Perhaps it was to correct 
this tendency that the Jews laid such stress upon studying 
and remembering history. How do you think a study of 
"Washington's personal character should affect those who 
learn about him ? 



PAET IV 
"IN PERILS OFT" 



LESSON XXV 

THE EARTHQUAKE 

(Acts 16:16-40) 

We are not trying to learn what happened to 
Paul's body so much as to find out what happened 
inside his mind, — to study his character. No story 
about him is more illuminating in this regard than 
the one told in Acts 16: 23-40. (Bead) 

That an earthquake could loosen chains and open 
prison doors is hard to believe when one thinks of 
prisons such as we have in the United States. It 
is, however, fairly easy if it is a Turkish prison one 
has in mind. The doors of the building in which 
Paul was confined were probably merely fastened 
by a wooden bar. The earthquake forced the door- 
posts apart; the bar slipped from its sockets, and 
the doors swung open, there being nothing to hold 
them in place. It was customary to fasten prison- 
ers to the stone wall ; and the stocks and the chains 
would become detached. Earthquakes play all 
kinds of strange pranks. 

The question naturally arises, why did not any 
of the prisoners run away? Professor Ramsay, 
whose St. Paul, the Traveller and the Roman Citi- 
zen, pp. 220-225, is most helpful in preparing this 
lesson, explains that the minds of oriental and west- 

177 



178 "IN PERILS OFT" 

ern races seem to work differently. An earthquake 
strikes panic and terror to a semi-oriental mob. 
The opportunity is over before they can gather 
their wits togther. Paul and Silas, men of a higher 
order of intelligence, were not in the habit of run- 
ning away. 

Another question arises. If it all happened at 
night, in darkness so intense that the jailer had to 
call for lights, how could Paul see the jailer and 
know that he was about to kill himself? The ex- 
planation to this is that the inner prison in which 
Paul and Silas were confined was a small cell with- 
out door or window except the opening into the 
larger prison. That had one big door in its outer 
wall, opposite Paul's cell. Even in the faint star- 
light, and still more if the moon were shining, a per- 
son in the inner room, accustomed to its obscurity, 
could see a man silhouetted in the outer doorway 
and yet be himself quite hidden in the blackness of 
the inner cell. 

After his conversion the jailer took Paul and 
Silas to his own house. In doing this he was not 
overstepping his authority. He was responsible 
for the prisoners, and must produce them when 
called for, but meantime he could keep them where 
he thought best. 

As for the sudden change of manner on the part 
of the praetors, — perhaps their superstitious fears 
had been aroused, — perhaps their consciences. 
"The weakness of municipal government in cities of 
the iEgean lands was always a menace to order." 



THE EARTHQUAKE 179 

Such magistrates were not likely to be men of high 
principle. They would wish to avoid unpleasant in- 
quiries by inducing the innocent weaker party 
quietly to leave the city. Paul and Silas, however, 
refused to depart without vindication. They had 
played fair, and had a right to demand fair treat- 
ment in return. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Points to Emphasize. That Paul and Silas kept 
their true sense of values. 

They were true to their conception of duty, — and 
this impressed the jailer. 

The jailer, on his part, was doing his duty. 

The praetors were abusing their power ; hence the 
difference in Paul's manner. 

Cheerfulness of Paul and Silas under trying cir- 
cumstances, — in the stocks, and in pain. 

Serenity amid the horrors of the earthquake. 

Speed with which they turned from the mere trifle 
of a reeling world to their own particular job of 
evangelization. 

Their lack of vindictiveness. Their instant effort 
to save the life of the jailer, even before they knew 
his attitude toward themselves. 

The heartiness and simplicity of their response 
when he appealed to them for advice. 

Yet in their answer to the authorities they stood 
upon their rights. 

Local Color. In Basil Mathews' Paul the Daunt- 



180 "IN PERILS OFT" 

less, pp. 193-198, this experience is very well told, 
with much explanatory detail skilfully interwoven. 
The word-pictures are of great help. Slightly con- 
densed, the whole passage may be read in class. 

"Went to the House of Lydia." Acts 16:14 
tells us that Lydia was "a seller of purple, 
of the city of Thyatira." She became a warm 
friend of Paul's. There are many legends and 
conjectures about her. Some believe her to have 
been the first convert in Europe. There is a legend 
that she became Paul's wife. 

lesson mottos 

"Know your opportunity." — Pittacus, one of the seven 
wise men. 
"Pardon is the choicest flower of victory." — Arabian. 

QUESTION, LESSON XXV 

It is suggested that there be only one question, given 
to all the class. The answers will be varied, and will open 
up plenty of subjects for discussion. It may be as follows : 

The next lesson will be found in the sixteenth chapter of 
Acts from the twenty-third verse to the end of the chapter. 
Each member of the class is asked to read it carefully, 
and really think about it. Next Sunday each* in turn will 
be expected to say what appears to be the most important 
thing in the story. 

Please come prepared to talk about it in class for two or 
three minutes. It is not necessary to limit the talk to the 
little that can be gleaned from Acts. Anything bearing on 
the subject that you can bring from other sources, for ex- 



THE EARTHQUAKE 181 

ample, about Eoman citizenship, or military customs, or 
manners of the time, or about the states of mind exhibited 
by the different characters in the story, will be "thankfully 
received. 7 ' 



LESSON XXVI 

PAUL, THE PUBLIC SPEAKEE 
(Acts 17: 16-34) 

Paul was the one Christian teacher of those early 
days about whom a book was written, yet our knowl- 
edge of him is only fragmentary. We know, for ex- 
ample, that he lived for two years in Eome in his 
own hired house, and was allowed to receive and 
talk with people freely, though nominally a prisoner. 
(Acts 28:30-31) 

Ten of the first fourteen years after his conversion 
are practically a blank, so far as the record goes. 
We only know what he tells us in Gal. 1 : 17, — that 
he went into the desert of Arabia to think things 
over. Then, after a short period of preaching in 
Damascus and Jerusalem, that he was obliged to flee 
to Tarsus, where he remained until Barnabas sought 
him out. What he did and said during all this time 
we are not told. We may be sure he was learning 
lessons which were to be of use to him later on. 
This season of seclusion appears to have been for 
him what a course in a theological school is to a 
preacher to-day, — his time of preparation. 

Paul had a great deal to learn about holding his 
temper and emotions in check. "His self mastery 

182 



PAUL THE PUBLIC SPEAKER 183 

was an acquired grace/ ' says one writer. But a 
hot temper is not an unmixed evil, provided its 
owner knows what to do with it. Paul had un- 
bounded energy, an ardent nature, a warm heart, 
and quick alternations of mood. He could both feel 
and inspire friendship of the highest order; was in 
short a most interesting person. He was the kind of 
man you could not help loving, though for an hour, 
or even a day, he might exasperate you almost be- 
yond endurance. It has been said that his hearers 
might either fight him or be converted by him. The 
one thing they could not do was to ignore him. 

During his missionary journeys, occasional notes 
were made of his speeches, very possibly in short- 
hand since that was used by the Romans ; but only 
five short summaries have come down to us. From 
these, however, it is possible to piece together an 
idea of how he spoke, and how his words affected his 
hearers. 

When he started out with Barnabas upon the 
missionary journeys, he was a middle-aged man, 
rather short and small, according to tradition, some- 
what bald and not particularly handsome. But 
there is nothing in Acts or in his letters to prove 
that he was physically repulsive, as some affirm. 
Both in Acts and in his letters we find references to 
some form of affliction to which he was subject, but 
what it was we do not positively know. What it 
was does not in the least matter, but the indications 
point to epilepsy. We know that he did his work 
in spite of it ; and the fact that he accomplished so 



184 "IN PERILS OFT" 

much, with a handicap, makes his example the more 
heroic and inspiring. 

One theory is that he had a disease of the eyes, 
which made it impossible for him to recognize per- 
sons even when quite near him, and which gave him 
a hideous stare. Luke does not say anything to 
confirm such a surmise. On the contrary, one in- 
stance of PauPs great power recorded by Luke, 
begins with the statement that Paul "fastened his 
eyes" (Acts 13: 9) upon a man; and scholars tell us 
that the word Luke used means that PauPs soul 
seemed to look through his eyes. 

He appears to have used a good deal of gesture. 
He showed the Ephesian elders "these hands"; 
(Acts 20 : 34) and beckoned with his hand when he 
stood up in the synagogue at Antioch to beseech 
the "men of Israel and ye that fear God" to hear 
him. (Acts 13 : 16) In addressing King Agrippa in 
the hall of the Roman governor at Caesarea we are 
told that he i ' stretched forth his hand. ' ' (Acts 26 : 1) 
It was evidently a characteristic and scarcely con- 
scious act. When more restraint was likely to pro- 
duce greater effect no mention is made of gesture; 
he evidently had himself under good control. But 
at Lystra, where he and Barnabas found themselves 
in danger of being worshiped as gods, he showed his 
distress in the excitable manner of his race; he 
"rent his garments." 

The greatest factor in his success, however, was 
his earnestness. The Arabs have a proverb "A 



PAUL THE PUBLIC SPEAKER 185 

word from the heart reaches the heart. A word 
from the tongue reaches only the ears." 

Not only his words but his acts were eloquent. It 
was what he did more than what he' said which con- 
verted the jailer on the night of the earthquake. 
But it cannot be denied that he had an eloquent and 
at times a prolonged flow of words. There is a re- 
cord of one sermon which lasted all night. (Acts 20: 
7-12) However, Paul had some excuse. He was 
bidding friends goodbye, expecting never to see 
them again. That he could talk convincingly to 
hostile audiences as well as to friends we may be 
sure, or that bonfire of books of magic upon the 
public square at Ephesus would never have been 
lighted. (Acts 19:19) 

He was a persistent speaker, not to be silenced 
by a little opposition. When he was no longer wel- 
come in the synagogue at Ephesus he hired a lec- 
ture-room of one Tyrannus (Acts 19:9) where he 
held daily discourse for about two years. Though 
he followed without wavering the injunction given 
him in one of his visions "Be not afraid, but speak" 
(Acts 18: 9) he was sympathetic, and far too much 
of a gentleman merely to abuse the beliefs of those 
who heard him. He knew it was better to persuade 
than to denounce ; that it was only fair to treat his 
hearers politely, and to give them the benefit of 
every possible doubt. He shared the Jewish horror 
of idols, and thought it wicked to make an image or 
a picture of God ; but he was gentleness itself if he 



186 "IN PERILS OFT" 

could detect the least glimmer of seeking after the 
real God. His most famous speech, which you have 
been asked to commit to memory for the lesson to- 
day, shows' this. (Acts 17:22-31) Let us try to 
imagine the scene as he made this speech. 

(After spending a little time with map and photo- 
graphs and descriptions of Athens, have the speech 
read or recited ; and bring the lesson to a close with 
a summary of Paul's qualities as an orator.) 

SUMMARY OF PAUL'S QUALITIES AS 
A SPEAKER 

He spoke out of his heart to the hearts of men. 

Used every bit of his wide and varied knowledge. 

Made many historical allusions after the manner 
of educated Hebrews. 

Did not disdain the phrases of the moment, even 
the slang of the market place. 

Used bold figures of speech. 

" Was supremely skilful in interpreting the Gospel 
into everyday life." 

Said of himself that he never planted his blows 
"as one who beats the empty air." (I Cor. 9: 26) 



SUGGESTIONS 

Maps and Diagrams. Use not only a map of 
Athens and surroundings, laying emphasis on 
the deep valleys within the town (in one of 
which the Furies were said to dwell), but make 



PAUL THE PUBLIC SPEAKER 187 

in class a simplified outline of the walls of the 
city and the chain of heights within it, upon one of 
which stood the Parthenon, on another the Areopa- 
gus. These two, with the Agora, the theatre and the 
Temple of Zeus ; and outside the wall the Stadium, 
and the position of Mt. Hymettus, will give the class 
a working outline of the topography very helpful in 
placing any photographs that may be available. 
There are maps and diagrams in the Encyclopedia 
Britannica from which simple tracings can be made. 
Athens at the Time of Paul's Visit. The 
city had already lost much of its political and 
intellectual prestige, but was at the height of its 
material splendor. Having to wait several days for 
the arrival of Silas and Timothy, Paul probably 
visited every portion. In the centre rose the stately 
Acropolis crowned by the Parthenon, which Paul, as 
a lover of good architecture, must have admired. 
Below the Acropolis, to the southwest, was the 
Agora, or Market Square, centre of the city's com- 
mercial and intellectual life. On the west stood the 
Royal Porch, in which the court of the Areopagus 
held its sessions. The Hill of Mars upon which the 
Royal Porch was built, had originally been 
separated from the Acropolis by -a deep and narrow 
chasm. As Paul was a lover of athletics as well as 
of architecture, he probably made his way quickly to 
the great new stadium on the hills to the east, where 
the Pan-Athenaic games were held; but he seems to 
have spent most of his time in the Agora, fascinated 
by its activity. 



188 "IN PERILS OFT" 

The Shops. There appear to have been in the 
commercial district two-story arcades, each story 
with its little row of open booths, like the shops in 
Eastern towns of the present day, facing a covered 
passage. The suggestion that these might be 
looked upon as ancestors of the modern department 
store, may not be archeologically sound, but it 
serves to bridge a gulf of centuries in the young 
mind, and to bring the business life of Athens quite 
near. 

The Mabket Place. It served as a sort of club. 
People met to exchange ideas as well as to buy and 
sell. 

Epictjreans. Believed in enjoying all sorts of 
good things; in rational happiness. "We cannot 
live pleasantly without living wisely and nobly and 
right eously." 

Stoics. Eepressed bodily feeling and desires, in 
order to cultivate the mind. 

The Eeligion of Athens. Eenan says that it 
was " municipal and political ; M based on myths 
of the foundation of the city. That it was "a con- 
secration of the patriotism of its inhabit ant s." 
The Jewish religion has been called "consecrated 
patriotism. * ' Perhaps Paul felt this underlying 
similarity. 

The Many Altars. Athenians saw the divine 
mystery in almost every object, and took no 
chance of offending any god by overlooking 
him. For fear of missing one because they 



PAUL THE PUBLIC SPEAKER 189 

did not know his name, they raised an altar 
"To the Unknown God." A Roman writer said 
it was easier to find a god in Athens than to find a 
man. 

"As Certain also of Your own Poets have Said." 
The idea that men were God's children was by no 
means an exclusive possession of the Christians. 
Aratus, a Greek who lived between two and three 
hundred years b. a, wrote : 

"Zeus fills the city streets 

Of the nation's crowded marts ; fills watery deeps ; 

His children are we. He, benignant, 
Raises his signals, summoning man to toil, 
And warning him of life 's demands. ' ' 

The author of the following Hymn to Zeus was 
Cleanthes, pupil of Zeno. 

1 ' O God most glorious, called by many a name, 
Nature's great king, through endless years the same; 
Omnipotence, , who by thy just decree 
Controllest all ; hail Zeus, for unto thee? 
Behooves thy creatures in all lands to call, 
We are thy children. . . ." 

The Areopagus. In earlier days the court 
of the Areopagus had regulated morals and 
education. It had condemned Socrates to death 
on the charge that he introduced the wor- 



190 "IN PERILS OFT" 

ship of new gods. It still exercised supervision 
over the lecturers who were allowed to present 
their views in the Agora. Paul was not brought 
before it on a definite charge, but was allowed 
to present his new teachings in order that the court 
might determine whether it was proper to allow him 
the privilege. 

Paul's Speech. He mingled with the throng 
who were confirmed "lecture-tasters," and appears 
to have attracted attention both by his looks and 
words. On his part he could approve of much in the 
dissertations he heard, with their strong emphasis on 
the moral life, and their hint of one supreme god 
back of all natural phenomena. The scene of his 
address was probably near the Royal Porch. Prof. 
Ramsay points out that there was nothing in his 
reported words at Lystra or at Athens that several 
Greek philosophers might not have said, if we ex- 
cept one expression, "the man whom he hath 
ordained. " 

His introductory words indicate that he had not 
only judges and philosophers in his audience, but 
also the Athenian mob, characterized by the univer- 
sity folk as "worthless pickers up of scraps of 
learning.'* The attitude of the university men 
toward Paul appears to have been thoroughly con- 
temptuous. Here was a voluble Jew who promised 
them entertainment. 

Paul adjusted himself to his hearers with 
marvellous skill, meeting them on the one point of 
contact, the common ground of universal religion. 



PAUL THE PUBLIC SPEAKER 191 

Then he skilfully led up to appreciation and 
acceptance of his own point of view. His method, 
like that of Jesus, was positive and constructive, not 
negative and destructive. Back of his words was 
his heroic personality. 

Books to Which the Teacher is Referred in 
Preparing this Lesson. 

Encyclopedia Britannica. 

History of Christianity — Andrew Stephenson 

Student's Life of Paul — Geo. Holley Gilbert 

St. Paul, the Traveller and the Roman Citizen — 
Wm. M. Ramsay 

Work and Teachings of the Apostles — Chas. F. 
Kent 

The last two are particularly helpful, and these 
hints and explanations have been gleaned mainly 
from them. 



192 "IN PERILS OFT" 



LESSON* MOTTO 

"He is in earnest, — in most profound earnest." 

— Shakspeare. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XXVI 

Please commit to memory PauPs speech on Mars Hill 
(Acts 17: 22-31) The Revised Version substitutes the 
words "very religious" in verse 23 for the older transla- 
tion which reads "too superstitious." 

Please learn it according to the Revised Version. 

We may not know the exact words Paul used ; but we may 
be very sure he did not begin by insulting his audience. 



LESSON XXVII 

IN CHAINS AT JERUSALEM 
(Acts, chapters 21 to 26) 

This very long lesson is an account of the 
turbulent and dramatic scenes which led to Paul 
being sent, a prisoner, to Rome. In time it covers 
two years. In Acts it runs through about five 
chapters. The most interesting way will be to treat 
it as if it were the exciting climax of a novel, to rush 
on with the reading as fast as we can in order to get 
the swing and thrill of the story, stopping only when 
a word of explanation will make the picture more 
vivid. 

You remember that touching scene between Paul 
and Agabus, when Paul insisted on going to 
Jerusalem. The Book of Acts does not tell why 
he was so set on going, but scholars have decided 
it was in order that he might himself carry to the 
church at Jerusalem the collection which had been 
taken up for it in the Gentile churches. Agabus 
took Paul's girdle and bound his own hands and feet 
with it, prophesying that if Paul persisted in going 
to Jerusalem, harm would come of it. Let us read 
this again as the opening episode of the story. 
(Acts 21: 10-14) 

Paul persisted in going to Jerusalem, and to 

193 



194 "IN PERILS OFT" 

prove the falsity of the charge that he was hostile to 
Jewish practices he joined a company of men who 
had taken a vow which made it necessary to perform 
the ceremony of purification and to offer sacrifices in 
the temple every day for a week. All went well at 
first, but before the week was over a tumult was 
raging in and around the temple, Paul being the 
centre of the disturbance. You recall the temple 
railing, with its inscription forbidding Gentiles to 
pass beyond a certain point on pain of death. 
Paul's enemies saw him talk to a man from 
Ephesus, then cross the court, mount the steps, and 
pass beyond the line. They said that he had taken 
the stranger with him. At once all was confusion. 
Not wishing to kill him within the sacred place they 
laid violent hands upon him and dragged him out- 
side. Then the great gates swung together. (Eead 
Acts 21: 27-31) The Chief Captain was one of the 
Roman military officers, not a Jewish temple 
official. (Read verse 32) "They" refers to the 
mob. (Read 33-36) 

The tumult was so great that Paul had to be 
literally carried in the arms of the soldiers. At the 
top of a flight of steps, from which he could look 
down on the frenzied mob, Paul astonished the 
soldiers, who were at once his captors and his 
protectors, by asking in Greek if he might address 
the people. (Read Acts 21 : 37-40 and 22 : 1-22) It 
was a Jewish mob; and the root of the offense in 
their eyes was that he had carried his message to 
strangers, and now dared stand up and assert that 



IN CHAINS AT JEEUSALEM 195 

the God of the -Hebrews had commanded him to do 
so. There was such confusion that the Chief 
Captain could make nothing at all of what was said. 
He ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks and 
examined under the lash, as the quickest way to find 
out the cause of the mob's hatred. 

(Bead Acts 22: 25-29) This shows what a valu- 
able thing Eoman citizenship really was. The 
Captain was deeply impressed. (Bead Acts 22:30 
and Acts 23 : 1-5) It is upon this passage that some 
scholars base their theory that Paul had poor eye- 
sight. Others maintain that Paul spoke ironically, 
meaning that he never would have guessed the High 
Priest's dignity from his behavior. Then Paul, who 
was clever as well as eloquent, saw that he could get 
the members of this strange priestly court to dis- 
puting among themselves, and proceeded to do so. 
(Read Acts 23:6-10) 

Paul's great desire was to go to Rome. That 
night he had a vision which told him he should 
succeed. Perhaps this was the first time it had 
occurred to him that he might go to Rome as a 
prisoner if not as a free man. (Read Acts 23: 11) 
But his enemies had no notion of allowing him to 
leave the town alive. (Read Acts 23: 12-15) 

Here* a new character enters the story, just long 
enough to do Paul an important service and vanish, 
and incidentally to give us one of the rare glimpses 
we are allowed into Paul's private life. A nephew, 
Paul's sister's son, hears of the plotting. He is 
evidently a Jew in good and regular standing in the 



196 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

temple; but family feeling gets the better of 
religious* intolerance, and he comes to the castle 
where Paul is confined, to warn him. (Read Acts 
23:16-22) The Chief Captain, whose name was 
Claudius Lysias, appears to have become very 
friendly to Paul, over night; and the prisoner 
certainly orders his guard about in lordly fash- 
ion. 

(Read Acts 23: 23-24) This was a large guard to 
set over one man against whom no specific accusation 
had been found ; but the vow of the Jews had warned 
Lysias that he must be prepared for a sudden on- 
slaught, even after the prisoner was well out of the 
city. 

The guard gathered in the castle at night, the 
horses ' hoofs ringing and echoing under the arches; 
the light of torches gleaming upon the men in 
armor. Lysias had written a letter to Felix the 
governor at Caesarea explaining the case. This was 
handed to the commander of the guard, and the 
party set forth. (Read Acts 23 : 25-35) 

(Read Acts 24:1) Tertullus was the lawyer 
retained by the Jews to argue the case before Felix. 
He began "with the subtlety of an oriental orator" 
by flattering the judge as a prelude to prejudicing 
him against the prisoner. (Read Acts 24:2-9) 
When Paul was called upon to speak in his turn, he 
used even more skill, alluding to the long experience 
of Felix as a ruler of Judea, and the knowledge this 
gave him of the lengths to which religious hatred 
might carry the Jews. (Read Acts 24 : 10-23) Felix 



IN CHAINS AT JERUSALEM 197 

was mildly interested in the new religion, and more 
interested in Paul. There was not enough evidence 
to convict any prisoner, so he put off the decision, 
and while waiting for the arrival of Lysias heard 
Paul speak several times. He rather liked to hear 
him talk. At times he seemed quite moved by what 
Paul said. Possibly Felix might have set Paul at 
liberty had he not been married to a Jewess, and 
therefore anxious to keep on good terms with the 
Jews, — at least in his own household. Besides, he 
was not a very high type of official, and hoped for 
a bribe. 

So matters went on for two years. Then a new 
governor was appointed. (Acts 24: 27) Almost as 
soon as Festus arrived in Jerusalem the Jews told 
him their side of the story and asked him to order 
Paul to Jerusalem for trial. They had not given 
up their plan to kill him. Festus answered that it 
was not necessary, as he was soon going back to 
Caesarea. Three days after his return to Caesarea 
he called Paul before him. Paul denied having 
broken any law. Festus asked if he was willing to 
go to Jerusalem and be tried before him there. Paul 
suddenly saw his chance of getting to Eome, and 
claimed the right to be tried before Caesar. (Read 
Acts 25:10-11) There was a moment of startled 
silence. (Read Acts 25 : 12) 

But Rome was a long way off. It was necessary to 
await an opportunity to send the prisoner there in 
safety. A little later King Agrippa and his new 
Queen, Bernice, came to visit Festus at Caesarea. 



198 "IN PERILS OFT" 

There was much feasting and ceremony; and after 
the entertainments had continued some days, Festus 
told Agrippa about Paul. Agrippa expressed a 
desire to hear him speak, so there was still another 
gathering in the Judgment Hall, very splendid this 
time because of visiting royalty. It was here that 
Paul gave that wonderful discourse recorded in the 
26th chapter of Acts. The teacher would do well to 
read this as given in Soul of the Bible, pp. 414- 
417, adding verses 30-32) 

So it was decided that Paul must be sent to Rome. 



SUGGESTIONS 

Lesson Questions. Instead of the usual lesson 
questions the class is asked to read in turn the selec- 
tions indicated. 

Map. Use map of Jerusalem, showing relative 
position of Temple and the Tower Antonia. There 
is a plate in the Encyclopedia Britannica from 
which a tracing may be made. 

Local Color. Mathews' Paul the Dauntless, pp. 
290-316, contains much that is good. It is partic- 
ularly useful in describing the start at night under 
guard, when Paul is sent to Caesarea. The trial 
scenes are also well done. 

Felix. Formerly a slave, who through a trick 
of fortune had been received into the imperial circle. 



IN CHAINS AT JERUSALEM 199 

He married first a daughter of Antony and Cleo- 
patra, then Drusilla. (Kent, 217) 

LESSON MOTTO 

" Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.' ' 

II Cor. 3: 17. 



LESSON XXVIII 

THE SHIPWRECK 
(Acts 27: 1-44; 28: 1-16) 

At last the day came upon which Paul was to 
leave for Rome. He went aboard the ship with 
Julius the Centurion, and with other prisoners. Two 
faithful friends accompanied him: (1) Luke, his 
doctor-companion, and a Macedonian named Aris- 
tarchus. Possibly they found it necessary to ship as 
Paul's slaves in order to go with him. 

The next day they reached the harbor of Sidon, a 
busy port, echoing with the stroke of the ship- 
wright's mallet, and all the hurly-burly of prepa- 
ration for voyages by sea. Paul had visited the 
place twice before, in company with Barnabas. He 
told Julius that he had friends there, (2) and the 
Centurion, who had already come under his spell, 
allowed him to go ashore. He hurried off, with the 
eagerness which always came upon him at the 
prospect of meeting good friends. 

The wind had stiffened before they set sail again. 
They were bound northwest for Myra on the coast of 
Lycia. (3) Cyprus lay right across their track. 
The ship with her one large mainsail could not sail to 
the south of the island in the teeth of such a wind, so 

200 



THE SHIPWRECK 201 

the Captain turned to the north in order to get into 
the lee of its shore. This brought Paul within sight 
of Salamis, which he had seen twelve years before 
on his first missionary journey. Between that 
day and this he had travelled thousands of miles, 
and been drenched with rain and snow, scorched by 
the sun, beaten and stoned, imprisoned and robbed, 
but never yet had he turned back from his great 
adventure. The ship continued northward, search- 
ing for the calmer waters of the Cilician and Pam- 
phylian sea, and Paul, for the last time, looked 
upon the plain where he was born. 

The ship turned westward, but had slow work, 
tacking to take advantage of light off-shore breezes. 
At last, however, it entered the strange great 
harbor of Myra, and as it came to anchor Julius 
the Centurion was on the lookout for a ship to take 
them on the next stage of their journey. His face 
lightened when he saw one whose cut and rig told 
him it was a grain ship carrying food from Egypt 
to feed the citizens of Rome. Prisoners and soldiers 
changed ships, and on climbing aboard found many 
passengers already ahead of them. 

The wind held obstinately and it took many days 
to make Cnidus, farther west on the same coast, 
which was only one good day's sail from Myra. At 
that point they must leave the protecting shore ; and 
if the sailing had been difficult before, it would be 
worse ahead. The captain turned south to get in 
the lee of Crete. There they found more favorable 
winds and soon fetched the harbor of Fair Haven. 



202 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

(4) The Mediterranean was not safe for ships 
between November and the early days of March, 
and was always spoken of as " closed' ' during those 
months. There had been so much delay that Paul 
saw no hope of reaching Italy before the winter 
gales set in. (5) He had been born in a harbor 
town, and with his experience in travel felt that he 
he knew the sea in all its moods. He spoke to the 
centurion, to the captain, and to the owner of the 
vessel, saying: (Read Acts 27:10-13). 

Away to the right Mt. Ida, on the north coast, 
lifted her peak into the sky. It seemed that a 
few hours would see them safe in the harbor where 
they were to lie for the winter. But ugly weather 
was brewing over the mountain. Without warning 
the wind suddenly curved from the south, and cir- 
cling, swept back from the north like an eagle strik- 
ing its prey. The boat reeled as the gale, tugging at 
her sails, threatened to tear the main-mast from 
its roots. Clouds whirled; sheets of white spray 
lashed the deck. Sailors climbed the rigging to the 
great yard, and with a mighty effort managed to furl 
the sail. All efforts to bear up against the 
wind proved futile. At a command from the cap- 
tain the men at the rudder sweeps let drive, and the 
ship tore across the water, the white-backed sea- 
hounds leaping and baying at her sides. 

The toppling mainmast reeled dizzily, and under 
the wrench of the typhoon the ship shivered and 
groaned. Her timbers began to start, and a sea- 
man going below could hear the sound that grips 



THE SHIPWRECK 203 

a sailor 's heart with a deadly chill, — the suck and 
splash of water in a leaking hull. 

An island loomed over the bow to leeward. The 
ship staggered on, and at last, under the lee of this 
island of Clauda, the sailors rounded her to in 
smoother water, pulled alongside the ship's small 
boat which had bobbed like a cork at the stern ; and 
laboriously, clinging to the ship's side, tugging and 
hauling, managed to wrap cables around the whole 
ship, under her hull and across her deck. The 
grinding and straining of timbers was less, but 
the vessel still leaked. Sailors swarmed aloft and 
fetched down her top gear, then, with storm-sail set, 
she swung out again in the path of the gale. 

Night fell, but the wind still held ; its hum in the 
rigging rising to a long wail. Waves hung over the 
ship like mountains, then, diving viciously under her 
bow, lifted her up and up till her decks sloped at a 
dizzy angle before they slung her down a ravine of 
water into the abyss. With the leaking hull in- 
creasing its menace the sailors were forced to throw 
out all sorts of things. Paul and Luke joined in 
the work. "We cast out with our own hands the 
tackling of the ship," wrote Luke. By the third 
morning of the storm everything movable had been 
hurled overboard. 

Day after dreary day passed, but never did the 
6louds break. Without sight of sun or star it was 
impossible to tell where they were drifting. There 
was an ominous heaviness now in the roll of the 
water-logged ship. Despair fell upon the sailors 



204 "IN PERILS OFT" 

and they knelt upon the deck praying to Castor and 
Pollux, the twin guardian gods of Roman mariners. 

(6) Then Paul the prisoner assumed the role of 
leader and commander. (Read Acts 27:21-26) The 
fourteenth night had fallen, with the gale still driv- 
ing them. Suddenly there was* a stir among the 
sailors, for the quick ear of one of them had de- 
tected a new sound, the boom of breakers on a rocky 
headland. It was the land for which they had 
prayed; but it might mean death upon the rocks 
before day dawned. 

"Twenty fathoms — fifteen fathoms." The sea 
was growing shallow, and white foam could now be 
seen through the darkness. Four anchors slid from 
the stern, their splash followed by moments of 
silent waiting. Would they hold? The ship slack- 
ened her pace, tugged at her cables, and stopped. 
They had chanced upon bottom where the anchors 
held; but waves broke and swept over the ship's 
stern and it was evident that she must certainly 
break to pieces before long. The small boat was 
swung over the side and let down, and sailors pre- 
pared to follow, on the pretense of casting anchors 
from the bow, — an utterly useless thing to do under 
the circumstances. Their real aim was to get away 
from the doomed vessel. 

Paul saw the manoeuvre, and going to the Cen- 
turion said, "Unless these men stay in the ship you 
cannot be saved." At a quick order from Julius, 
his s'oldiers strode to the ship's side, drew their 
short swords, and slashed at the ropes. The little 



THE SHIPWRECK 205 

boat shot out empty and was swallowed in the dark- 
ness. 

Paul knew that the people aboard would need 
every ounce of their strength. No attempt could 
be made to leave the ship until full daylight, but at 
dawn he stood up and spoke words of common sense 
to the dejected mass of people, soldiers, sailors, 
traders, prisoners, and government officials, who 
crowded the deck to the number of 276 souls. (Read 
Acts 27:33-34) 

When there was light enough the ship must be run 
ashore. As every inch of distance from the beach 
added to the danger of landing, the ship must be 
relieved of all possible weight. Up to that time 
the cargo of wheat had been saved. Now sack 
after sack was brought up and cast into the water. 

A creek with a sandy beach flowed into the bay 
where they found themselves. The captain decided 
to run for that, though it was a dangerous man- 
oeuvre, since right ahead were cliffs upon which the 
ship must surely be ground to splinters, if she 
failed to swing around in time. 

Men waited at the bow and stern. At a word 
of command those at the bow hoisted the foresail 
with swift hands ; those at the stern cut the anchor 
cables, and the passengers waited, breathless, to 
learn their fate. A sigh of relief went up as the 
ship swung away from the cliffs toward the creek, 
and moving on bedded her bow in the sand. 

(7) As though the perils of the sea had not been 
enough, the Roman soldiers now gathered around 



206 "IN PERILS OFT" 

Julius, and pointing to Paul and the other prisoners 
said, "Let us kill them, lest they should swim out 
and escape." 

Under ordinary circumstances Julius might have 
been willing to do this, but Paul was a Eoman 
citizen, and though a prisoner, was not like ordinary 
prisoners. 

(Condensed from Paul the Dauntless by Basil 
Mathews, and used by permission of the author.) 

(Read in class Acts 27:43-44 and (8) Acts 28: 
1-16) So Paul, through all these perils, came to 
Rome, where he was to live for two whole years. 

SUGGESTIONS 

The Ship's Couese. C. F. Kent, in Work and 
Teachings of the Apostles, p. 219, gives the usual 
route followed on such voyages. 

On the Island of Melita. In G. H. Gilbert's 
Student's Life of Paul, p. 100, will be found an ex- 
planation of the "miracle" of the viper's bite. 
It was cold, the fire warmed the creature and 
roused it from its torpor sufficiently to enable 
it to strike, but not to send the venom through its 
fangs. 

The Shipwreck. The narrative form of the 
story of Paul's experiences on the way to 
Rome given in this lesson may help teachers 
to read the Bible passage with more understand- 
ing. No account given in other words can 
equal the life-like and thrilling story of the voy- 



THE SHIPWRECK 207 

age (Acts. 27; 28: 1-16) as written in our Bible by 
one who participated in it. Scholars say it is the 
most complete and best written nautical narrative 
that has come down, to us from antiquity, and that 
it tells us more about ancient navigation than 
does any other source of information on that sub- 
ject. 

Melita. This is the island of Malta, as the pupil 
who draws question 8 will discover. 

Points to be emphasized. Paul's serenity and 
practical good sense. 

That in an emergency he became the real com- 
mander of the ship. (Send the children on a hunt 
for other instances, ancient or modern, in which 
brains and character have come to the front in a 
crisis.) 

LESSON MOTTO 
"He that would learn to pray, let him go to sea." 



QUESTIONS, LESSON XXVIII 

1. 

Before coming to class read Acts 27, and the first 14 
verses of Acts 28. In class name two friends who were 
with Paul on this journey. If you keep your wits about 
you, and "look hard" you will find the answer in Acts 27 :2. 

2. 

Before coming to class read Acts 27, and the first 14 
verses of Acts 28. In class tell us whether Julius seemed 
to regard Paul as a mere prisoner; and recall certain other 



208 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

instances in which Paul's fine spirit won the confidence of 
his jailers. 

3. 

Before coming to class read Acts 27, and the first 14 
verses of Acts 28. In class show us upon the map the route 
the ship took from Caesarea as far as Myra; and tell us 
what Paul did there. 

4. 

Before coming to class read Acts 27, and the first 14 
verses of Acts 28. In class tell us what you can find out 
about the difficulty of sailing upon the Mediterranean in 
winter in those days. Were the boats big or little? Was 
the mariner's compass in common use? And anything else 
in regard to ancient navigation that you can discover. 

5. 

Before coming to class read Acts 27, and the first 14 
verses of Acts 28. In class tell us whether you think Paul 
was justified in giving advice about sailing the ship, and 
about when and how the journey should be made? Did 
his experience warrant it? Being Paul, could he have re- 
frained from giving advice ? 

6. 

Before coming to class read Acts 27, and the first 14 
verses of Acts 28. Tell us who proved to be the real cap- 
tain of that ill-fated craft and why. 

7. 
Before coming to class read Acts 27, and the first 14 
verses of Acts 28. In class tell us why the soldiers de- 
manded that the prisoners be put to death ; and whether it 
seemed as inhuman a thing to do then as it would now. 



THE SHIPWRECK 209 

8. 
Before coming to class read Acts 27, and the first 14 
verses of Acts 28. In class tell us how Paul was treated on 
the island of Melita. What is the island called today ? 



LESSON XXIX 

A PRISONER IN HIS HIRED HOUSE 
(Acts 28:17-31) 

After Paul reached Rome he did not, as the 
saying is, "let the grass grow under his- feet." 
Before he had been there three days, he called the 
leading Jews together and explained his situation to 
them, being careful to keep their good will by say- 
ing, "Not that I had aught to accuse my nation of." 
(Read Acts 28:17-20) The next two verses give 
the answer they made to him. (Read verses 21, 22) 
What Paul did for them and the effect of his teach- 
ing is then told. (Read verses 23, 24) In this way 
Paul began his Roman ministry. 

There in his hired house he became the pastor of 
a wide parish, — wider than he dreamed, for his 
words radiated from that centre to parts of the earth 
then undiscovered. Even in his day his parish was 
wide. He preached to the people who came to 
Rome, who carried his message among their friends 
to the uttermost ends of the Roman world; and in 
addition to the spoken words, he sent letters of com- 
fort and admonition to the many Christian churches 
he knew and loved. 

Now read Acts 28: 30-31, the last words in the 
Book of Acts. Very little is known about the 

210 



A PBISONER IN HIS HIRED HOUSE 211 

remainder of Paul's life, though there are many in- 
ferences and conjectures. 

Can we not be grateful that the account leaves 
him there, free in spirit, though bound with a chain? 
Very likely he reached more souls of his own and 
succeeding generations from that one spot than if 
he had been at liberty to wander over the earth 
until the day of his death. We know that he is still 
reaching and influencing minds today. 

Just as a matter of telling a story truly and effec- 
tively, this Book of Acts, which leaves Paul vigor- 
ous and working, is truer in a large way, than if 
it followed him step by step to the* martyrdom 
which tradition says overtook him. Doing that 
would have filled its last pages with harrowing de- 
tails which would merely have blurred the outline 
now so clear and strong. 

This mistake of blurring outlines in an effort 
to make them clearer is one we all have to 
guard against, whether we are drawing a picture, 
or telling a story, or following out a line of reason- 
ing. Good artists are always preaching against it 
to their pupils; and how not to do it is the most 
valuable lesson one learns in an art school. It is 
called "keeping the sense of relative values." 
Great writers practise it; and while great thinkers 
may not talk so much about it, it is their ability to 
stick to the main, point of an argument, without per- 
mitting themselves to be led away on side issues, 
which furnishes the final proof of their superior 
minds. 



212 



'IN PERILS OFT" 



Let us take an example from the art school. A 
pupil is asked to draw a vase. He begins, usually at 

the upper left hand 
corner of his paper, 
and follows down the 
outline of one side. 
It goes pretty well, 
and he is quite 
pleased with himself. 
Then he begins to do 
the same for the 
other side. That too 
starts off finely; but 
soon, in spite of all he 
can do, his pencil is 
telling the most atro- 
cious lies about that 
vase. The charac- 
teristic thing about 
such a vase is that the 
two sides are exactly 
alike; his are very 
different, which is not 
surprising, since it 
would require years 
of training for the 
hand, and a wonder- 
fully accurate eye, to 
draw it correctly in that casual manner. And, as- 
tonishing as it may seem, the outline in itself is of 
only minor importance. The necessary thing is to 




A PRISONER IN HIS HIRED HOUSE 213 

get a correct pic- 
ture of the mass 

wmmm mm ^~~~ enclosed within 

J the outline. 

r That will be a 

/ picture of the 

I vase, while the 

I outline is only 

I the edge of the 

I vase. If the 

. -^^ mass is pictured 

^^w correctly, the 

^W outline will take 

\ care of itself. 

\ A drawing 

1 teacher will tell 

you that the best 

I way, especially 

/ for a beginner, is 

£ to determine up- 

f on the exact cen- 

f tre of the vase, 

S^ and to draw a 

g~ straight line to 

f represent that. 

^ It need not be a 

£ very black and 

\ visible line, — all 

^*^^^ we need is 

Ja enough to serve 

■ BBH '*^ as guide. Next, 



214 "IN PERILS OFT" 

by looking hard at the vase, and thinking harder, we 
determine the relative proportions of the neck and 
the base and the bowl; and perhaps we make other 
slight marks to indicate these divisions,— all before 
we are ready to make a beginning on the actual 
drawing. Then, a little at a time, now on one side 
and now on the other, we work at the outline, always 
keeping in mind the relation of the whole vase to 
that middle straight line. 

A wise and skilful artist once said to his pupil: 
"Never look at what you paint ■ always look at some- 
thing else." At the time she thought he was talking 
the most arrant nonsense, but the longer she lives 
the more thankful she grows for that bit of advice. 
Of course, it is necessary to see what you paint, or 
you cannot reproduce it; but it is equally necessary 
to keep on looking consistently and constantly at the 
thing as a whole, not alone at the tiny bit upon which 
you happen to be at work. 

Again, suppose you are drawing a landscape in 
which there is a group of trees. It is impossible to 
draw in detail one thousandth part of the leaves on 
those trees, and if you try, your picture will be all 
out of drawing. Yet you can make a fairly correct 
representation of the scene by keeping in mind 

the relative 
masses of 
light sky, 
dark foliage, 
and grayish 
fields. 




A PRISONER IN HIS HIRED HOUSE 215 

In other words, whatever we do, whether it be 
painting a picture or telling a story or working out 
a problem in mathematics, it is our duty to find the 
very centre and kernel of truth — the heart of the 
matter — and to present that, alive and glowing. 

This is what Luke did in presenting his picture of 
Paul. He told us things about him that are of 
infinitely more importance than the manner of his 
death. He drew a picture of Paul's character. He 
made us understand that Paul had a rich, vigorous 
nature; that he could work hard, and enjoy much, 
and that just as this character of his won his jailers 
and made them his friends, his earnestness and 
courage were able to bend adverse circumstances 
to his will and make them work for the glory of 
God. 

SUGGESTIONS 

The little diageams. It is effective* to make the 
drawings "on the spot." Even if the teacher is 
not an adept at that sort of thing, a little practice 
beforehand will enable one to draw as badly as these 
require. Have the pupils draw also. They will 
not get very far, for this part of the lesson must be 
hurried through ; but the mere fact of having a pen- 
cil in the hand will bring it home to them. 

Photographs. One or two pictures, showing 
big convincing masses, and an equal number in 
which detail is portrayed to the detriment of the 
composition should also be exhibited. Millet's 



216 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

"Sheepfold" is a good example of the former, and 
Knaus's " Christening, ' ' of the later kind. The 
first is a poem ; the second, only a catalogue. Both 
are to be found among the inexpensive Perry 
prints. 

Paul's chakacter. The greater part of the 
lesson should be devoted to the lists which the 
children bring to class in answer to the lesson 
question. Between twenty and thirty different 
qualities will probably be enumerated. Choose 
the six most often mentioned, and consider and 
discuss what part they played in Paul's conduct on 
various occasions. As : 

On the road to Damascus. 

The long missionary journeys. 

Intercourse with his jailers. 

In the face of mobs. 

Before kings. 

During the shipwreck. 

At Eome. 

Draw inferences, and make modern applications. 

LESSON MOTTOS 
"It is our inside climate which counts most; even in 
August. ' ' — Woods Hutchinson. 

i ' Stone walls do not a prison make 

Nor iron bars a cage. 
Minds innocent and quiet take 

That for an heritage. 
If I have freedom in my love, 

And in my soul am free, 



A PRISONER IN HIS HIRED HOUSE 217 

Angels alone, that soar above 
Enjoy such liberty.' ' 

— Lovelace. 

QUESTION, LESSON XXIX 

Each pupil has the same direction. It is this: 

Let us invent a sort of game for next Sunday. 

Write out and bring with you a list of six or eight quali- 
ties that you think Paul possessed. For instance, the gift 
of public speaking, of energy, and so on. 

Out of all these lists we will make up one containing the 
qualities named by most of the class. 

Then we will try to imagine what would have happened 
to Paul at certain important moments in his life if he had 
lacked any one of them. 



LESSON XXX 

PAUL'S IDEA OF THE RESURRECTION 

(Easter lesson) 

Paul's idea of the resurrection was colored by his 
time and his Jewish birth, but it was also very- 
modern. 

The idea of immortality has been cherished, 
secretly or openly, by almost every human being. 
With the Jews it had passed through two phases be- 
fore Jesus was born. The early Hebrews thought 
that God took account of nations, but did not concern 
himself very much with individuals. Theirs was the 
favored nation. God judged and punished it for its 
sins. In time a perfect kingdom would result from 
such judgments, and that perfect kingdom was to 
endure forever. 

When the Jews ceased to exist as a nation, it was 
manifest that this idea had been wrong. The mem- 
bers of the nation lived on as individuals in captiv- 
ity, and the idea was modified to fit changed condi- 
tions. Some of them believed that God was to judge 
each person. The wicked were to be condemned to 
everlasting shame, and out of the good people a new 
and wonderful kingdom was to be made, which was to 
endure and to rule the earth. Since the only people 

218 



PAUL'S IDEA OF RESURRECTION 219 

who could hope to please God were those who lived 
according to Jewish law, it would be a Jewish king- 
dom. So practically the old result was arrived at 
by the new reasoning. But back of both gleams the 
larger idea that God's purpose is good, and that 
good is indestructible. 

Then Jesus began his teaching. His followers 
believed him to be the Messiah, who, according to the 
expectation of devout Jews, was to come to judge 
the world and to rule the purified kingdom. They 
misunderstood what he said about the kingdom of 
God not being a kingdom of this world, and ex- 
pected to see him, a descendant of David, sitting 
upon an earthly throne. 

Soon he was put to death. But almost instantly 
it was asserted that he could not really have died; 
for he had been seen by some of his disciples, and 
had talked with them and comforted them. So they 
took courage again. If he could thus return from 
the dead, he must indeed be the Messiah; and in his 
own good time, which would certainly come before 
long, he would descend from heaven to judge and to 
rule the world. 

Paul spent his life trying to make the people see 
that the Christian fellowship was not bounded by 
race or nation, but was as wide as the world itself ; 
but he clearly shared the belief in a speedy second 
coming of Christ, and he pictured it vividly, as he 
was apt to picture things when he wrote about them. 

He was sane and wise, however, and some of his 
fellow-Christians were not. The early church was 



220 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

made up of all sorts of people, some of them very 
foolish, and all very full of human nature. We 
know that it is hard sometimes for human nature to 
distinguish between Eight and Desire. In such a 
body of people, believing in a speedy second coming 
of Christ, heralded by a day of wrath, with earth- 
quakes and destruction on every side, the less well- 
balanced and all of the more vindictive might 
feel, in addition to zeal for their faith, in- 
dignation for the wrongs they and their friends 
had suffered in the world so soon to come to an end. 
It would be easy for such a state of mind to 
deteriorate into a very dreadful kind of fanaticism. 
Men would forget to perform the acts of courtesy 
which in ordinary times self-interest, if no higher 
motive, imposed upon them. They would neglect to 
provide for the children and helpless people 
dependent upon them. "0 well," they might say, 
"What does it matter? The world is coming to an 
end. But before it does, I mean to get even with So 
and So." Or, "I am not going to waste precious 
hours toiling to get money and food we may never 
need to use. We are of the elect. It is God's 
business to look out for us." 

Against all this Paul stood firm as a rock. He 
was, says a writer on the early church, "a great 
steadying influence." He pointed out that nobody, 
not Jesus himself, knew the hour of the second 
coming; and that it behooved pious people, while 
waiting for it, to live in the world as they found it, 



PAUL'S IDEA OF RESURRECTION 221 

and to strive, with every means at their command, to 
make it the kind of world Jesus would be glad to find 
when he arrived. 

So Paul preached sobriety and kindness and 
brotherly love, and the doing of deeds which build up 
character and render men and women more like 
Christ. Upon this he insisted through many pages 
of his writings. ' 

Hebrew writers love imagery. Paul's mind and 
training were those of an educated Hebrew; so he 
wrote about these things in the Hebrew manner. 
Indeed, it is impossible to write upon such subjects 
without using metaphor. Whether Paul believed 
that the actual body of Christ which had died upon 
the cross and had been buried, had indeed risen 
from the grave and was coming soon to sit in the seat 
of judgment, is a matter about which everybody is 
entitled to his own opinion. Those who know most 
about the early Christian church think that at first 
it was the resurrection of the Spirit of Jesus 
that was taught, and that the later belief in the 
resurrection of an actual physical body, not only in 
the case of Jesus but of every person who dies, was 
an honest blundering attempt to explain this earlier 
belief and the phenomena cited to prove it. 

After all, the exact shade of Paul's opinion on this 
point is a secondary matter. What we are sure of 
is that he used images and metaphors of Christ's 
bodily death when he wished to impress upon his 
followers a truth which deals with spiritual matters. 



222 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

In Eomans 6 : 4, for example, he says that those who 
become followers of Christ die with him ; are buried 
with him; and rise with him to walk in newness of 
life. They die to their old sinful life as Christ's 
physical body died ; they are buried in baptism as he 
was buried in the tomb; and like him they take on 
new life. And he follows this with many ex- 
planations. 

One of the most beautiful of his explajiations, 
certainly one of the easiest for us to understand, is 
that in which he uses the simile of a grain of wheat, 
which must fall into the ground and apparently be 
destroyed before it can fulfil its destiny of renewed 
and more glorious life. (I Cor. 15: 36-38) 

It is here that he is so very modern ; for he tells us 
precisely the same truth that students in many 
branches of science tell us in other words. You 
have learned it all in school, — how the mysterious 
power that is in the soil goes into the life of the tree, 
which in time falls to the ground. Then it may be 
used for fire wood. As it burns, the log which was 
once a living tree seems to crumble into nothingness 
before our eyes ; yet we know that the heat of the 
flame is another very potent form of energy, that its 
substance does not perish, it only changes its form, 
and so on, from wonder to wonder. 

Paul did another very "modern" thing when he 
wrote about death as being a "sleep," (I Thess. 4: 
13-14) something natural and beneficent, not to be 
regarded with fear, or with too much sorrow. That 



PAUL'S IDEA OF RESURRECTION 223 

was no new discovery of Paul's, but we comfort our- 
selves with the same thoughts whenever we stand 
beside a new-made grave. 

As we have already learned, Paul was a man of 
vision, and also of visions. The two are very 
different, for one means clear common sense, the 
other exalted moments of inspiration, comparable 
only to the glory of the sun as it bursts through 
heavy clouds. In both these moods he wrote about 
the resurrection. The practical clean-cut view you 
may find in Col. 3 : 1-3 where he bids the followers of 
Jesus live as Jesus would have them live. 

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things 
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right 
hand of God. Set your affections on things above, 
not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and 
your life is hid with Christ in God." It is an ad- 
monition full of imagery, but full also of everyday 
common sense. 

For the revelation of what this belief in im- 
mortality really means to the human race we have 
the wonderful fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians 
— a trumpet-peal of triumph. 

"Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become 
the first-fruits of them that slept. ... death, 
where is thy sting ? grave, where is thy victory ? ' ' 

There have been many good people in the world to 
whom the full splendor of this vision has been denied 
— literal-minded folk, insisting on a resurrection of 
the body, bone for bone, and demanding to know just 



224 "IN PERILS OFT" 

how it was going to be managed, in the grave and 
afterward. Some have seemed to revel in un- 
pleasant details; some, perceiving the practical 
difficulties of such a belief, have repudiated the 
whole idea of any kind of life after death. Others 
have refused to consider immortality except of the 
negative sort suggested in Maeterlinck's Blue- 
bird, where, you remember, the dead awake and 
live only so long as people think about them, return- 
ing to a land of sleeping gray shadows the moment 
they are forgotten. 

Others believe in the immortality of good deeds, 
as set forth by George Eliot : 

"O may I join the choir invisible 

Of those immortal dead who live again 

In pulses stirred to generosity, 

In deeds of daring rectitude ; in scorn 

For miserable aims that end in self; 

In thoughts sublime that pierce the night like stars, 

And with their mild persistence urge man's search 

To vaster issues." 

Then there are others who believe with all the 
strength of their hearts that the spirit survives the 
body, and that the best in our friends lives on after 
death, happy and still working God's will. 

John 14: 2 makes Jesus say that in his father's 
house are "many mansions. T? There may be room 
in them for infinitely more phases of life than we 
recognize; and perhaps the truest words Paul ever 
wrote were those in the eighth chapter of Romans 
when he recorded his own belief ' l that the sufferings 



PAUL'S IDEA OF INSURRECTION 225 

of this present time are not worthy to be compared 
with the glory which shall be revealed." (v. 18) 

So, there is a wide latitude of thought upon the 
subject. Probably our own personal understanding 
of what is meant by immortality may change in the 
course of our lifetime, just as the Jewish notion of 
it altered through the centuries, growing ever more 
spiritual, from that crude belief in a sort of block- 
immortality of a small tribe here on earth, to the 
wonderful idea of Jesus, that every devout soul is 
a child of God, and may be "one" with God in 
carrying on the divine purposes. 

We celebrate Easter in our church for several rea- 
sons. First, because we believe so sincerely that 
spirit triumphs over accidents of physical life and 
death. Second, because in this spring season when 
every plant and shrub is giving its testimony to re- 
newed life, it seems fitting to make public acknowl- 
edgment of the yearly miracle; and third, because 
the idea of resurrection put new heart into the dis- 
ciples and made it possible to continue the work and 
teachings of Jesus. In that sense Easter is the true 
birthday of the Christian Church. 



SUGGESTIONS 

Emphasize Paul's insistence that it is the business 
of Christians to live amiably and sanely in this 
world; making the best of circumstances, and doing 
everything in their power to transform it into a 
heaven upon earth. 



226 "IN PERILS OFT" 

Pictures. Show some of the early Christian 
symbols and explain their significance, such as: 
Bread, Light, Door, Good Shepherd, Resurrection, 
Life, the Way, the Vine (these seven typify 
the character of Jesus) — Fish, Aura, Instruments 
of the Passion. 

Chrysalis and Butterfly. This often-used ex- 
ample of a changed form of life is treated in effective 
fashion in Mrs. Marie Conway Oemler's novel 
Slippy McGee, p. 111. Just because it is very collo- 
quial and not at all conventional in form, it may 
make an impression. 

LESSON MOTTOS 

1 1 There is no death. What seems so is transition. 

This life of mortal breath 
Is but the suburb of the life elysian 

Whose portal we call death.' ' 

— Longfellow. 

"Man makes a death which Nature never made." 

—Young's "Night Thoughts' ' 

QUESTION, LESSON XXX 

Come prepared on Easter (next) Sunday to tell us why 
we celebrate Easter day as a great church festival. Those 
of the class who studied Miss Buck's Story of Jesus last 
year will remember that she gave three reasons. Which of 
these appeals to you most ? 



LESSON XXXI 
PAUL'S CHARACTER 

The writings of Paul which have come down to us 
are all in the form of letters, addressed either to a 
group of people, like a church, or to a single indi- 
vidual. Letters are perhaps the most spontaneous 
kind of writing. While not so perfect in form as a 
poem, or so polished as an essay, a letter reveals its 
writer's character through its very informality. 

We think of Paul's letters principally as written 
sermons, full of good advice and of strange doctrinal 
points ; (1) but in reality they are most human docu- 
ments, stuffed full of hints, not only about himself 
but about his friends as well. We found that, when 
his letter to Philemon opened up secret after secret 
as we studied it. The others do the same. He is 
constantly breaking into his argument with a per- 
sonal note. (2) We learn of his desire to go to 
Spain; (3) although most of his letters are written 
by his secretary or his helper, he often takes the pen 
into his own hand and sends a personal message. 
I Cor. 16 : 21 and Gal. 6 : 11. (4) He shows his opti- 
mism by asking Philemon to prepare a lodging for 
him in order that it may be ready when he is released 

227 



228 "IN PERILS OFT" 

from prison. Time and again these letters yield in- 
teresting hints to students of Paul and his time. 

Even before Paul died, his letters had become so 
famous that people forged his name to statements 
and predictions, and circulated them among the 
churches. One of these false letters announced the 
date of the second coming of Christ. It is to this 
that reference is supposed to be made in II Thess. 
2 : 1-3 when the church is warned not to believe that 
any such communication comes from Paul. 

How many letters he wrote, nobody knows; for 
some may have been lost. It is not even certainly 
known how many or what he wrote while in Eome, 
though Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 
Philemon are commonly referred to as the prison 
epistles and assigned to this period. Some modern 
scholars think, however, that these were written 
from an earlier imprisonment in Ephesus. Eomans, 
Galatians, and the two Corinthians are called the 
chief epistles, because they most fully set forth his 
doctrines. The two epistles to the Thessalonians 
are supposed to have been written before the others. 
The Encyclopcedia Britannica tells us that they 
are probably "the oldest Christian documents." 

While it is impossible to be sure of the exact 
order in which they were written, it is thought to 
have been as follows : — I & II Thessalonians, I & II 
Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Philemon, Colos- 
sians, Ephesians, and Philippians. As we have al- 
ready learned, Hebrews is no longer believed to 
be an Epistle of Paul. Most New Testament schol- 



PAUL'S CHARACTER 229 

ars agree that I & II Timothy and Titus, long 
thought to have been Paul's, were not written by 
him. It is reasonably certain he wrote the larger 
and more important books, named above, which con- 
stitute more than half of the group commonly known 
as the Epistles of Paul. 

There is a homely proverb to the effect that the 
proof of the pudding is in the eating: and we are 
told that nine-tenths of the sermons preached today 
are from texts to be found in Acts or the Epistles 
of Paul. Acts alone, or the epistles alone, would 
be fragmentary and misleading in giving us our 
mental picture of the man who, next to Jesus, has 
had the greatest influence over the minds and hearts 
of Christians. Taken together they supplement 
each other, bridge gaps, explain puzzling statements, 
and reveal to us the great, ardent, kindly spirit who 
maintained that the good news of man's relation to 
God as preached by Jesus should be free to Jew and 
Gentile alike. 

We all like stories, for they make pictures and 
images in our minds. As we have said many times 
this winter, the men of Bible times and lands 
were much given to the use of stories in their teach- 
ing. 

The vivid poetic imagination of Jesus seized upon 
and dramatized the humblest event, giving us the 
wonderful series of parables and pictures of daily 
life to be found in the Gospels. He talked. He 
did not write. "His teaching," says F. G. Peabody, 
"was for the occasion, the person, and the moment. 



230 "IN PERILS OFT" 

The mind of the Master seemed fixed on the single 
soul and the immediate need, yet disclosed the work- 
ing of universal law. " Perhaps it was this personal 
man-to-man quality, which so vitalized and glorified 
his words. 

PauPs message was more general. Most of his 
letters were addressed to a small intimate group. 
But they were written, not spoken, and being sent 
to churches at a distance had to be expressed in 
more general terms than if he had been present. 
In other words, he wrote sermons instead of tell- 
ing stories, as Jesus did, — stories that are veritable 
poems in their brevity and insight and lofty thought. 

The metaphors used by Jesus reveal a tender love 
of nature, a keen appreciation of beauty, and an 
intimate knowledge of country life. 

PauPs figures of speech are less poetical and less 
picturesque, and show greater familiarity with the 
world of business. He was a city man, who re- 
interpreted the words of Jesus into a language that 
ordinary matter-of-fact city-folk could understand. 
(5) When he said "the wages of sin is death" 
(Bom. 6: 23) their attention was arrested. They 
stopped to think, perhaps to argue. His "building 
of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the 
heavens," (II Cor. 5: 1) described to them a very 
comfortable and durable habitation. 

A gold ring is chiefly valuable for the gold it con- 
tains, but we can make better use of it and wear it 
longer because of the alloy which has been worked 
into the precious metal to stiffen it. PauPs way of 



PAUL'S CHARACTER 231 

giving the teachings and the gospel of Jesus may 
have had some alloy in it, but he was a tremendously 
useful man who carried the knowledge of Jesus to 
many who else would not have known him. 

Paul had much to say about soldiers, about ath- 
letics, and about courts of law; and small wonder, 
considering the frequent experience he had of them ! 
It has been pointed out that his illustrations and 
figures of speech come under four general heads — 
(6) Roman soldiers ; (7) ancient agriculture ; Greek 
games; and classical architecture. Paul was evi- 
dently impressed by the beauty and solidity of the 
wonderful Greek and Roman buildings he saw while 
upon his travels. He repeatedly used figures of 
speech which showed his interest in them. 

It may be profitable to compare one of these with 
the more familiar parable in which Jesus makes 
use of the idea of buildings. In I Cor. 3: 10-17, 
Paul tells of the wise master-builder, who lays foun- 
dations that others may build upon. Though there is 
a warning note, indeed almost a threat in what he 
says, we feel even more a sense of orderly con- 
struction, of square lines and truly laid walls, than 
of anything personal or dramatic. (8) But when 
Jesus talks about two houses, one built upon the 
sand and the other upon a rock, we feel the assault 
of the tempest, the alternating hope and fear of the 
owners of the dwellings, and the tragedy that over- 
came onef of them when his house collapsed. (Matt. 
7: 24-27) In the same way, when Jesus talks about 
building a tower, and calculating the cost before the 



232 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

work is begun (Luke 14: 28-30) it is not because of 
possible money-difficulties, or dangers of construc- 
tion, but to avoid the moral tragedy of failure to 
carry a plan to completion. 

Paul's writings seem to us singularly uneven; but 
that is scarcely to be wondered at, when we rec- 
ollect that they were letters written almost two 
thousand years ago and addressed to a people of 
an alien race and an entirely different mode of life. 
The consciences and hearts of these people, how- 
ever, were very like our own, and Paul's heart and 
conscience were so big and true and commanding 
that they overleap these wide barriers of time and 
environment. As for his language at its best it is 
very fine, though rarely touched by the poetic fire 
of the shorter simpler words of Jesus. It has the 
eloquence of extreme earnestness; and his admo- 
nitions and sturdy example reach us across the cen- 
turies fresh and strong, — almost as if we heard his 
personal voice. 

Reading his words is like taking a good bracing 
tonic. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Begin the Lesson with a Question. Ask what 
form of writing the members of the class pre- 
fer. "The story" will probably be the unani- 
mous answer. It will be difficult to get even a major- 
ity in a vote for second choice ; but all will agree that 
they like to receive letters, and that letters have a 



PAUL'S CHARACTER 233 

charm of their own because they reveal character, 
and thus enable us to make up our own story about 
their writers. This will lead up to the introductory 
and historical part of the lesson; then return to the 
story idea, and contrast the methods of Jesus and 
Paul. 

Paul's Parables and Metaphors. They show 
comparatively little of the dramatic quality, even 
when they deal with running races, or fight- 
ing. He makes his appeal through reason rather 
than by means of dramatic pictures. 

Contrast Romans 6: 5 and II Cor. 9: 6-10 with 
Matt. 13:3-9; II Cor. 4:6 with Matt. 5:15; I Cor. 
3 : 10-17 with Matt. 7 : 24-27 ; Gal. 5 : 9 with Matt . 
13 : 33 ; I Cor. 16 : 9 with Matt. 7 : 7-8. 

On the other hand Paul made use of a whole 
division of picturesque metaphor scarcely touched 
by Jesus, notably his striking allusions to soldiers' 
armor, to athletics and exercise. 

Points to be Brought out. The direct appeal 
his letters make, in spite of distance and transla- 
tion. 

The beauty of his language at its best. 

The tonic quality of his admonitions. 

That his manner of teaching and the manner used 
by Jesus were equally needed in the world. 

Dramatic Quality in Parables from the Gospels. 

Sowing seed (Mat.. 13:3-9 and 24-30) 
Lost coin (Luke 15 : 8-10) 



234 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

Widow's mites. (Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21: 

1-4) (Jesus had the poetic vision to see a parable 

as it was acted before him.) 

New wine in old wine-skins. (Matt. 9:17) 

Light not under a bushel. (Matt. 5: 15) 

The ninety-and-nine. (Matt. 18 : 12-14) 

The ambitious guest. (Luke 14: 7-11) 

House upon the rock. (Matt. 7: 24-27) 

Prodigat son. (Luke 15:11-32) 

LESSON MOTTOS 

"A light to guide to check the erring, and 

reprove. ' ' — Wordsworth. 

"Records that defy the tooth of time." 

— Young, "The Statesman's Creed." 



QUESTIONS, LESSON XXXI 

1. 
Do you think Paul's epistles are like other letters? 
State two ways in which, while telling about other things, 
he unconsciously reveals his own character. 

2. 

In the fifteenth chapter of Romans Paul refers to a cher- 
ished plan of his to make a long journey. See if you can 
find the reference. 

3. 

In I Corinthians 16 and in Galatians 6 there are verses 
which give hints as to the manner in which these letters 
were actually written. See if you can find them. 



PAUL'S CHARACTER 235 

4. 

Do you remember in the letter to Philemon Paul's re- 
quest to have some one prepare a lodging for him ? Please 
look it up. 

5. 

See if you can find, in the sixth chapter of Komans, an 
assertion that would be apt to make a business man who 
heard it for the first time stop and think. 

6. 

See if you can find some of Paul's characteristic figures 
of speech about soldiers and armor. Ephesians, sixth 
chapter, will be a good place in which to look. 

7. 
See if you can find some of Paul 's characteristic allusions 
to athletics. The ninth chapter of First Corinthians, and 
the third chapter of Philippians may yield something. 

8. 
Find and read us the parable in Matthew 7 about the 
house built upon the sand. 



LESSON XXXII 
"WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE TRUE" 

At the end of the last lesson we were talking about 
the beauty of Paul's language at its best, and about 
his sturdy good advice. We came to the conclusion 
that reading his letters was like taking a good brac- 
ing tonic. 

One of the best pieces of advice he ever gave is to 
be found in his letter to the Philippians. " Finally 
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever 
things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, 
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are 
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if 
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think 
on these things.' ' (4: 8-9) 

Do you realize why he said this? It was not in 
order that his followers might be made happy by 
forgetting unpleasant facts, or because he wished 
them to remain ignorant of evil. It was because 
Paul recognized the immense power of thought. 

He realized that religion is a matter of the mind as 
well as of the heart; and that conscience and 
intellect and will-power all have a lot to do in help- 
ing us to lead a Christian life. We are born with 
the power to think ; a power to sort out our 
sensations and experiences and decide which are 

236 



"WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE TRUE" 237 

good and which are bad, for us and for the world. 
Marcus Aurelius wrote, "Our life is what our 
thoughts make it," and the poet Byron called the 
power of thought "the magic of the mind." How 
magical it is we realize, faintly, when we stop to 
reflect that all the wonders of invention; every bit 
of art, — the beautiful pictures and sculpture; 
all the marvels civilization has brought us in the 
way of convenience and speed, which we now 
take quite for granted; the tasks electricity has 
been made to do for us; the way in which we can 
skim over the surface of the earth and mount up 
beyond the clouds "with wings, as eagles," all have 
come about as the result of thought. They had to be 
ardently desired, — that was the emotional part, — but 
they had also to be accurately pictured in somebody's 
mind and planned and persistently worked for, 
before they could take concrete form and become 
available for use. i ' The brain is a little organ . . . 
one can carry it in one's hat. Yet think what 
Shakspeare did with it ! " 

Since we have been given this power of thought 
it is our duty to use it, — seven days in the week, 
including Sunday. "When we go to church, we 
should not check our brains, as a man checks his 
coat or his umbrella," It is our business and our 
privilege to think. You remember that when Jesus 
told us about the great commandment he reminded 
us that we were to worship the Lord not merely 
with all our hearts and our souls, but with all our 
minds. 



238 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

It is worshiping "with the mind" when we try to 
bring ourselves and our surroundings into accord 
with what we honestly believe God wants them to be. 
The wonderful inventions we were considering a 
moment ago are proof positive that the human mind 
can make over the world. It is slow work ; not to be 
accomplished in a day, or likely to show much pro- 
gress even in a century. 

Improvement in the world of morals is as slow as 
in the world of material things. But little by little 
ideas and ideals do change, until evils that were 
regarded as something to be patiently endured are 
recognized as evils which may be cured ; and then, if 
minds only work hard enough on the problem, they 
are cured. 

It is by the power of thought then, that we actually 
make the world in which we have to spend our days. 
"If only young men and young women could realize 
this ; could know of a scientific truth that during the 
formative years of their life, God, through their 
minds, is making the world in which they are to live 
for the next fifty years V 9 wrote the minister who 
preached against "checking our brains" when we 
go to church. 

Do you not think this was what St. Paul meant by 
his "whatsoevers?" Let us repeat the passage 
again. 

But that was only one of Paul's searching and ex- 
cellent ideas. In the "game" with which we pro- 
pose to close the lesson we are going in pursuit of 
others. Let us see what passages the class has 



"WHATSOEVER THINGS AEE TRUE" 239 

chosen as best expressing his ideas upon perse- 
verance, law, and courage, and neighborliness. 



SUGGESTIONS 

Another Competition. In order to make search- 
ing the scriptures a little more exciting, the 
class may be divided into " teams" in the man- 
ner outlined in the lesson questions, with the 
object of hunting through Paul's letters for what 
they consider the best passages about perseverance, 
law, courage, and neighborliness. 

Let the class vote the week before upon whether 
points are to be given for (1) having read the 
assignment. (2) The number of interesting pas- 
sages found. (3) Memorizing the required pas- 
sage ; and the total number of points to be counted. 

Getting the Parents to Help. It is suggested, 
in view of the fact that the assignment will 
look large, that the teacher write to the parents 
asking if they will read these assignments with 
the members of the class. Home assistance would 
have to be taken into account in determining 
the number of points due the pupil. The number 
of points awarded might well be increased, instead 
of diminished, for such help ! 

LESSON MOTTOS 

"But words are things; and a small drop of ink 
Falling like dew upon a thought, produces 
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.' ' 

— Byron 



240 "IN PEEILS OFT" 

"Whate'er thou lovest, man, 
That too become thou must ; 
God, if thou lovest God ; 
Dust, if thou lovest dust." 

— Johann Scheffler 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XXXII 

Please commit to memory Philippians 4 : 8-9. 

In addition we will have another competition. 

Let the class divide into two "teams" drawing lots to de- 
termine their membership. The object of the competition 
is to find the best passage in Paul's letters about these four 
subjects, perseverance, law, courage, and neighborliness. 

Each member of the team will be responsible for only one 
subject. Points are to be given (1) for having read the 
assignment. (2) For the number of interesting passages 
found. (3) For having correctly memorized Phil. 4: 8-9. 

The class may vote today the total number of points in 
the game and upon how many each of the above, numbered 
one, two, and three, is to stand for. 

In any disputed point the teacher will serve as referee. 



PART V 
SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 



LESSON XXXIII 
"USE HOSPITALITY ONE TO ANOTHER" 

(1) We hear much about the "laws of hospitality" 
— a code of honor that no true man or woman will 
break. 

The dictionary definition of hospitality is "to 
be kind and cordial toward strangers or guests." 
In the old Hebrew days the ancestors of Peter and 
Paul made much of this law; which indeed has 
been held in high esteem, not only in Bible lands, 
but in all parts of the world, at all ages, as one 
of the gracious customs which make life beauti- 
ful. 

(2) In the old tent life of the desert an elaborate 
ceremony was built up around this idea of being 
kind to strangers and guests. The host need not 
know who they were, or what their errand might be. 
If a man appeared out of the heat and glare of the 
sands, weary, with parched throat and dusty body, it 
was the host's business to offer him shelter and food 
and water for bathing, if he had them, without asking 
questions. Genesis 18 : 2-8 gives a vivid picture of 
such hospitality. In that case Abraham was well 
rewarded for his kindness. His visitors were not 
human beings, but angels, who brought the blessing 
he most desired. (3) It is this incident that the 
author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, whoever he 
may be, mentions (13:2) when he writes: "Be not 

243 



244 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

forgetful to entertain, strangers, for thereby some 
have entertained angels unawares. " 

(4) On their side, the guests to whom such gener- 
ous treatment was accorded, were bound by honor to 
a certain line of conduct. If the guest knew he came 
upon an errand that his host would disapprove, or if 
he were an enemy, he must tell him so frankly at 
once. He must not accept a man's kindness and 
then do him an injury. 

You remember that in the story of Rebecca at the 
well, told in the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis, 
the servant who was sent down into Mesopotamia to 
find a wife for his master 's son would not accept the 
hospitality of Rebecca's brother before he had 
stated his errand. He was neither an enemy nor a 
thief. His intentions were most friendly; but he 
came to take away something his host prized, and his 
host must understand that before a morsel of the 
proffered feast passed his lips. 

The same idea prevailed in Europe during the 
Middle Ages. "I have eaten his salt" was sufficient 
answer in that turbulent time to any proposition to 
do a host injury. And once a man had become a 
guest, even though he might previously have been an 
enemy, he was to be defended to the last extremity 
even to the sacrifice of members of the host's own 
family. 

To prove how deep-seated is this idea of the 
sacredness of hospitality and that it is something 
even the most primitive savages feel, we can turn 
our eyes to the centre of what used to be known as 



HOSPITALITY ONE TO ANOTHER. 245 

darkest Africa, and is "dark" even yet. Here, 
travelers tell us, laws of hospitality prevail among 
cannibal tribes. ( See ' i Suggestions. ' ') 

(5) In the early church when part of the Christian 
code was to share everything in common, and later, 
during the seasons of persecution, when whole 
families were in danger of being driven from their 
homes, and might find themselves absolutely 
dependent upon the help of their fellow-Christians 
in a strange town, hospitality loomed large among 
the virtues, not only to those in need but to those 
who had oversight in the churches. "Be kindly 
affectioned one to another . . . distributing to the 
necessity of the saints; given to hospitality," Paul 
wrote to the Romans. (12:10-13) In I Timothy 
there is this good advice about the kind of men to 
choose for bishops: "A bishop then must be 
blameless . . . vigilant, sober, of good behavior, 
given to hospitality." (I Tim. 3:2) And the sub- 
stance of this is repeated in Titus (1:7-8) in saying 
that a bishop ought to be "a lover of hospitality, a 
lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate." 
So also in I Peter (4:9), Christians are urged to 
"use hospitality one to another without grudging." 

(6) If ever a man deserved hospitality it was Paul, 
and we know that he enjoyed it to its fullest extent. 
You remember Aquila and Priscilla, the couple 
driven from Rome by Claudius ; how they heard Paul 
preach in the synagogue at Corinth, and were so 
impressed by him that they begged him to visit them 
in their own house, which afterward became a second 



246 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

home to him. Then there was Lydia, the seller of 
purple at Philip pi, and the jailer who made Paul 
his guest after the earthquake in the same town. 

(7) What Jesus said about hospitality is given in 
Luke 14:13-14. "When thou makest a feast call 
the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou 
shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee." 
We have no reason to believe that he objected to 
people enjoying their own friends, or having a good 
time with them. He certainly often ate with his 
own. chosen band of followers and rejoiced in their 
company; and we read in John that he blessed 
a marriage feast with his presence. He was 
cautioning his hearers against letting a mercenary 
spirit creep into hospitality, the idea that it will be 
well to ask So and So to dinner, because he can do 
something to our advantage in return. 

Also, Jesus laid emphasis on the fact that the cost 
of an entertainment has nothing whatever to do with 
the richness of the hospitality. What he said about 
the cup of cold water, given in his name, settles that. 
The saying in Proverbs (15 : 17) "Better is a dinner 
of herbs, where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred 
therewith" proves the idea to have been no new one 
at that time, however slow the world has been to 
make it fashionable. Our New England Puritans 
put it in this way: " Brown bread and the gospel 
is good fare." 

You have already found out how true this 
is. We love to enter some houses, while there are 
others whose thresholds we never cross willingly. 



HOSPITALITY ONE TO ANOTHER 247 

In the first we feel surrounded by an atmosphere of 
welcome; in the second we cannot help suspecting 
our hosts of being indifferent, even if they do not 
cast secret glances at the clock, longing for the 
moment of our departure. And it is not always in 
the finest house that the welcome is warmest, — or in 
the house where most is ostensibly done for our 
entertainment. We may feel the truest hospitality 
of spirit when nothing whatever is being done for us 
in a material way. 

The third definition of hospitality given by the dic- 
tionary reads: "Figuratively, to be generous in 
mind, free in receiving and entertaining what is pre- 
sented to the mind. ' ' Though this definition has to 
do with ideas it is equally true of material things. 
If we are generous in our mind toward our friends 
we shall be so anxious to share with them what we 
have that the act of sharing and enjoying together 
will be the thing that counts, until it quite dwarfs the 
size and price of the stalled ox, and exalts the brown 
loaf to a place of great dignity. Let us get this 
into our minds and keep it there : The real factor in 
hospitality is the spirit in which it is offered, not 
the materials we use in offering it. And let us re- 
member also that the guest has duties as well as the 
host. 

As for receiving new ideas into our minds, Paul 
gave very good advice when he wrote, "Prove all 
things, hold fast that which is good." (I Thess. 5: 
21) It is only the bigot who knows it all; and the 
laziest of all lazy persons is the one who will not take 



248 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

the trouble to think a thing out and decide whether 
it is good or bad. We should receive a strange idea 
hospitably and treat it with the utmost courtesy ; but 
if we find it transgressing the law of a guest's 
behavior, it is an enemy in disguise, and should be 
treated like an enemy and cast out. To be liberal 
in religion is to be ready to consider new ideas, and 
not to accept them unless proved true and good. 

(8) Peter, who knew such a lot about human na- 
ture, urged Christians to "Use hospitality one to 
another without grudging. " 

True hospitality means giving of our very best. 
In material things it does NOT mean giving the cup 
of cold water just because it will "do," or is "good 
enough" for the person in question, when we are 
able to offer something better which is more suitable 
to the occasion. Sometimes it is in immaterial mat- 
ters that Peter's injunction is the hardest to follow. 
We do not grudge our friends food or drink — they 
are welcome to all we have — but we are tired ; it is 
an effort to enter into their state of mind, to rejoice 
with them that rejoice and sorrow with those in 
trouble. Yet without sympathy there can be no true 
hospitality. 

That is what Paul meant when he talked about 
being "all things to all men." He could never have 
affected people as he did had he not been full of 
sympathy. He quite unconsciously "gave away" 
the secret of his immense influence when he wrote to 
his friends in Corinth "I will very gladly spend and 



HOSPITALITY ONE TO ANOTHER 249 

be spent for you." (II Cor. 12: 15) Giving one's 
self is the centre and essence of hospitality. 

SUGGESTIONS 

HOSPITAJLITY AMONG THE PANGWES OF CENTRAL AF- 
RICA. " These have been from time immemorial the 
most incorrigible cannibals in the world, yet the most 
industrious and certainly the most intelligent of any 
of the Ban-to races of Central Africa. In the mat- 
ter of the capture of strangers and travelers for 
eating, they formerly had a strange code of honor 
which saved the lives of many a victim. If one 
sought refuge or shelter in a village, one was as 
safe as if the inhabitants were one's own people. 
They regarded him as sacred so long as he called 
their village his home. They considered him a mem- 
ber of the f amily, which, with its ramifications, com- 
posed one or more villages. He was still in no 
danger if he went into the forest, provided he did so 
by consent of the chief, and expressly stated that he 
still considered the village his real and continuous 
home, to which he would shortly return. But if he 
departed from the village for permanent residence 
elsewhere, he returned immediately to the status of 
a wild animal in their eyes, and was the lawful 
property of any one who found him, subject to cap- 
ture without, any of the protection he formerly en- 
joyed." 

— E. L. Garner, Adventures in Central Africa. 



250 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

Entektaiethstg Angels Unawares. The old fairy- 
tale of the witch-like person who turns into a beau- 
tiful benefactress tells this truth in another form. 

Remind the class that beautiful and lasting im- 
pressions come to us at most unexpected moments. 
Ask them to recall the moment when the beauty of 
out-of-doors first dawned upon them. Part of the 
class, if not all, will have a very definite recollection 
of the instant and of what they were doing. 

Remind them that casual meetings are often the 
beginnings of long and valued friendships. Point 
out the necessity for keeping our minds open and 
hospitable, ready for such possibilitites. 

Hospitality among the Primitive Christians. 
Even the heathen admired them for the thorough 
and conscientious manner in which they performed 
this duty. "Believers scarce ever went without 
letters of communion which testified to the purity 
of their faith; this was sufficient to procure their 
reception in all those places where the name of 
Jesus Christ was known." — Alexander Cruden. 



SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION 

Hospitality from the points of view of host and 
guest. 

Should one wish to receive it from all kinds of 
people, or from all kinds of houses? 

How, with changing conditions of life, changes 
necessarily come in ideas of hospitality. 



HOSPITALITY ONE TO ANOTHER 251 

What is it going to mean in the future f Justice, 
perhaps ? 

LESSON MOTTOS 

"A kind word can warm thee, for three winter months.' ' 

"Get acquainted with your neighbor — you might like 

him." — Rev. B. Tieney. 

"Be polite; perhaps your family won't mind if you 

practice on them." 

"Go often to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke up 

the unused path." — Scandinavian. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XXXIII 

1. 

The lesson is to be about hospitality. Please bring us the 
dictionary definition of the word. 

2. 

Genesis 18 : 2-8 gives a picture of Old Testament hospital- 
ity. Tell us about it, or, if you prefer, read us the passage. 

3. 

"What does Hebrews 13 : 2 say about entertaining stran- 
gers? 

4. 

"We hear a great deal about the "laws of hospitality.'* 
Do you think these laws are binding upon guests as well as 
hosts? 

In the story told in the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis, 
Abraham's servant refuses to do a certain thing until he 
has told his errand. Can you explain why ? 

5. 

In the early Christian church hospitality was considered 
a very important virtue. Can you tell us why they made 
such a point of it ? 



252 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

6. 

Paul had some warm and very hospitable friends. How 
many of them can you recall? 

T. 
In the fourteenth chapter of Luke you will find what 
Jesus said about hospitality. What do you think these 
words mean ? 

8. 
What do you think is meant in I Peter 4 ■ 9 by the words, 
"Use hospitality one to another without grudging"! 



LESSON XXXIV 

WOEKS AND FAITH 
(Hebrews, chapters 11 and 12; James 2 : 14-20) 

The condensation of these passages of the Soul of 
the Bible, pp. 486-488 and 492, is excellent. 

How are we to tell the difference between a bad 
man and a good one ? Not by the color of his hair ; 
he may be entirely bald. Not necessarily by what 
he says, for he and we may use different diction- 
aries. By the kind of thing he does we judge 
Ms state of mind: yet that is not an entirely safe 
guide either. He may be very bad, yet do many 
good deeds from unworthy motives. Or, he 
may be good at heart and still do something de- 
cidedly wicked. "By their fruits ye shall know 
them" is true of a lifetime, not of a single act. 

The problem is very complicated; and the best 
we can do in judging our neighbor is to remember 
how much better our own intentions are than our 
acts would lead anybody to suppose ! This should 
not only make us humble, but, in judging ourselves, 
very ready to echo Wordsworth's prayer: "The 
best of what we do and are, just God, forgive ! ' ' 

Faith, which finds its expression in action, is in 
itself more wonderful than any good deed, being the 
motive power which prompts such actions. Some 
people are too shy to assert that they have 

253 



254 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

faith in God. They may think they are too skepti- 
cal. They may prefer to call it faith in permanent 
good. Both mean belief in the worth-whileness of 
doing" right, and a firm conviction that good will 
triumph in the end, no matter what happens to any 
individual, or even to the immediate enterprise he 
has at heart. 

People who carry that belief about with them 
seem to radiate a good influence. They may not be 
doing anything! It is comforting and healing 
merely to find ourselves in their presence. To keep 
enough of this assurance on hand to serve our needs 
it is necessary to rely upon something outside our- 
selves. We are not unlike one of those storage bat- 
teries used in an electric car. When it has been 
charged, and the proper key is turned, it can run 
wherever we direct it ; but every little while we must 
have the charge renewed. That act too is called by 
many names, all of which mean the same thing, — 
drawing help and inspiration from the fountain of 
all good. Perhaps that is what Paul meant in Eph- 
esians (4:23) when he wrote "Be renewed in the 
spirit of your mind." Let us call it by the simple 
old-fashioned word Faith. 

The more of it we can get into our lives the better 
it will be for ourselves and the world, for, if such 
faith be genuine, it will almost inevitably flower into 
good deeds of itself; just as the outline of the vase 
we tried to draw a few Sundays ago came right after 
we ceased dwelling upon it as an outline and 
bent all our energies to getting a correct picture 



WORKS AND FAITH 255 

of the mass that lay between the outlines. 

To run about the world hunting for spectacular 
good deeds to do would be very much like keeping 
our minds exclusively on the outline. A man who 
did this might be very good, but he would not be ef- 
fective, and he would be more than a little ridicu- 
lous. Perhaps some of you have already read Don 
Quixote. If so, you will know what I mean. He is 
a very lovable character, and astonishingly real for 
a character in fiction ; but people laugh at him ; and 
that seems a pity when we are talking about a thing 
like faith. 

Neither St. Paul, nor Joan of Arc, nor any of the 
heroic figures of history are to be laughed at. They 
were intent upon their mission, and their deeds and 
adventures came about naturally as incidents of the 
quest in which they were engaged, not as the main 
cause of their endeavors. 

Paul's attitude toward Faith has been expressed 
in this way : 

1 ' Let us note one other mighty service of this re- 
markable man. He deepened the inner life of 
Christendom and made its piety more profound. 
The tendency of both Jewish and Gentile converts 
was to win God's favor by doing something that they 
thought religious. They performed a rite; they 
uttered holy words; they purified themselves with 
water ; they made an offering in the temple ; and so 
on, and fancied that this external act made them 
more pleasing to God. Against this Paul forever 
insists that religion is from within. . . . Paul, as a 



256 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

rule, scorns all rites and works; for they cannot 
sanctify a man, and with all the ardor of his nature 
he summons Christians to a deep and thoughtful 
devotion, to a solid and real sonship to God and 
resemblance to the Lord." 

[ — Wm. Laurence Sullivan, 
From the Gospel to the Creeds.] 

Paul had himself been a Pharisee, and knew both 
by experience and observation the danger of rely- 
ing solely upon works! There is grave danger, 
however, of going too far in the other direction. 
Time and again in the world's history people 
have become mightily concerned about saving 
their own souls, and have made themselves and many 
others unhappy by trying to prepare themselves for 
a future life. Engrossed in this they have not 
seemed to care what happened to them in this life, 
provided they could make sure of a place in heaven. 
Nor have they seemed to care in the least about 
what happened meanwhile to their unfortunate 
neighbors. It was against this attitude that James 
protested when he wrote : 

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man 
say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith 
save him? If a brother or sister be naked and 
destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, 
Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwith- 
standing ye give them not those things which are 
needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so 
faith, if it hath not works, is dead." (James 2: 
14-17) 



WOKKS AND FAITH 257 

Applied to ourselves we can reduce the problem to 
a very concrete one of getting and spending. To 
get money in order to 'keep it is miserly. To spend 
wisely is economy. To spend wisely for the good of 
others, is benefaction. This applies quite as truly 
to spiritual wealth as to dollars and cents. We can- 
not well get along without it. We are powerless to 
"make" it within ourselves. If we are wise, we 
shall use it generously when we have it. 

One kind of faith of which we stand in great need 
is confidence in ourselves. Not conceit, — for that 
would be as objectionable as counterfeit coin, and as 
stupid as imagining we could mint it in our own per- 
sons; but faith in our ability to stand up for the 
right ; to train and use the minds God has given us, 
and with his help to prove faithful to whatever trust 
he and our fellow men may repose in us. 

Let us use what remains of the lesson period in 
talking about men and women who have worked "not 
grudgingly or of necessity" for the good of their 
fellows, and have shown by their actions the faith 
and love that were in them. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Ask the Class fob a definition of Faith. This 
makes an effective opening for the lesson, and 
may bring out some illuminating points, — or 
some points that need illumination. Show that it 
is harder and much more tiresome to keep on living 
up to a standard of high principles than to die in a 
burst of heroic enthusiasm. 



258 SOME CHEISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

Last Paet of Lesson. In order to insure 
variety in the biographical examples brought 
in for discussion, assign to each member of 
the class a different type of individual. For 
example: A great religious leader. A fearless 
statesman. A devoted physician. A general. An 
explorer. An artist. A nurse. A scientist or 
inventor. Eead the list to the class, and, so far as 
possible, let the young people choose the ones they 
prefer. 

LESSON MOTTOS 

"Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou liv'st, live 
well." —Milton. 

"How am I to know if I am a true Christian?" a lady 
once asked Mr. Moody at the close of a revival meeting. 
Mr. Moody is said to have replied: 'Ask your servants, 
madam ; they are sure to know. ' ' ' 

"Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that 
faith let us dare to do our duty as we understand it. ' ' 

— Abraham Lincoln. 

"Faith working through love." Paul, in Gal. 5: 6. 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XXXIV 

1. 

Please come prepared to tell us about some physician who 
had faith in the right, and in his own ability ; and because 
of this was able to accomplish great things. 

2. 
Please come prepared to tell us about some religious 
leader who had faith in the right, and in his (or her) own 



WORKS AND FAITH 259 

ability; and because of this was able to accomplish great 
things. 

3. 

Please come prepared to tell us about some statesman who 
had faith in the right, and in his own ability ; and because 
of this was able to accomplish great things. 

4. 

Please come prepared to tell us about some general who 
had faith in the right, and in his own ability ; and because 
of this was able to accomplish great things. 

5. 

Please come prepared to tell us about some explorer who 
had faith in the right, and in his own ability ; and because 
of this was able to accomplish great things. 

6. 
Please come prepared to tell us about some artist who 
had faith in the right, and in his (or her) own ability; and 
because of this was able to accomplish great things. 

7. 
Please come prepared to tell us about some nurse who 
had faith in the right, and in his (or her) own ability; and 
because of this was able to accomplish great things. 

8. 
Please come prepared to tell us about some scientist who 
had faith in the right, and in his (or her) own ability; 
and because of this was able to accomplish great things. 



LESSON XXXV 

LOVE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY 
(Romans 12: 9-21; I Cor. 13) 

The boy of eleven who confided to his mother: 
' i This job of being a Christian is the hardest one I 
was ever up against ! ' ' was not far wrong. There 
is no eight-hour day about it. And it is not only 
protracted, but exciting and puzzling, for the reason 
that we seem to be expected to do so many different 
and contradictory things at once. We are told that 
we should love all our fellow men; yet we are also 
told to hate evil. Even a fool knows that some 
people are wicked. How can a Christian love the 
wicked? Again we are enjoined to be absolutely 
truthful ; and in the next breath courteous behavior 
is urged upon us. How can we be always courteous 
without sometimes being hypocritical, — pretending 
to be friendly and amiable when in our hearts we feel 
quite the other way? St. Paul wrote in Romans (12 : 
9) "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that 
which is evil; cleave to that which is good/' He 
seems to be of the opinion that hypocrite and 
Christian are two words which do not go together. 

Let us see what Jesus has to say about Christian 
conduct: for it is well when in doubt to go to the 

260 



LOVE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY 261 

highest authority. i i Ye have heard that it hath been 
said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine 
enemy: but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless 
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, 
and pray for them which despitefully use you and 
persecute you. . . . For if ye love them which love 
you, what reward have ye? Do not even the 
publicans the same? ... Be ye therefore perfect, 
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. M 
(Matt. 5: 43-48) We are nowhere told that God is 
a hypocrite; and we are told that God is Love. 
There must be a reconciling answer somewhere. 
Again, in John (13:35) Jesus is quoted as saying: 
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, 
if ye have love one to another.' ' You remember 
that a lawyer once asked Jesus, "Master, which is 
the great commandment in the law?" and he 
answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
mind. This is the first and great commandment; 
and the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy 
neighbor as thyself." (Matt. 22:36-39) Perhaps 
the answer is right here. It may be that this is 
another case where we have to look very hard at the 
problem with our minds in order to distinguish 
between essentials and what are after all only un- 
essential and apparently contradictory details. 

First and foremost, it is the Christian's duty to be 
true. We may compare truth to a beautiful great 
diamond cut with many facets. Some of these 
surfaces look east and some look west. Some reflect 



262 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 



the light so that it comes to us the color of flame; 
others send it back a brilliant blue. Yet we know 
that these are all mere surfaces, — the outside of one 
jewel, whose heart is pure white, more dazzling than 
any of these brilliant colors. 

Keeping this in mind let us go back to that saying 
of Paul's "Let love be without hypocrisy. Ab- 
hor that which is evil; cleave to that which is 
good," and let us read what follows, turning it as we 
go into short words of our own. 



In love of the brethren be 
tenderly affectioned one to 
another. 

In diligence not slothful. 

Fervent in spirit; serving 
the Lord. 

Rejoicing in hope. 
Patient in tribulation. 



Continuing steadfast in 
prayer. 



Cultivate kindly feel- 
ings. 

Do not be lazy. 
Be enthusiastic. 

Be optimistic. 

Be patient when 
things go wrong. 

Believe that a 
greater power than 
yourself is working 
on your side, so 
long as you work 
for good. Seek 
help from it. 



LOVE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY 263 

Be helpful. 



Communicating to the neces- 
sities of the saints. 

Given to hospitality. 

Bless them that persecute 
you; bless and curse not. 

Rejoice with them that re- 
joice ; weep with them that 
weep. 

Be of the same mind, one 
toward another. 

Set not your mind on high 
things but condescend to 
things that are lowly. 

Be not wise in your own 
conceits. 

Render to no man evil for 

evil. 
Take thcuught for things 

honorable in the sight of 

all men. 



If it be possible, as much 
as in you lies be at peace 
with all men. 



Be hospitable. 

Do not be vindictive. 

Be sympathetic. 



Do not be argumenta- 
tive. 

Do not be a snob. 



Do not think you 
"know it all." 

Do not be resentful. 

Be willing to give up 
a little for the sake 
of setting a good 
example. 

Do not seek a quarrel 
but stand up for 
the right. 



264 SOME CHEISTIAN PRINCIPLES 



Avenge not yourselves 
beloved, but give place un- 
to wrath ; for it is written 
Vengeance is mine, saith 
the Lord. 

But if thine enemy hunger, 
feed him; if he thirst, 
give him to drink; for in 
so doing, thou shalt heap 
coals of fire upon his head. 

Be not overcome of evil ; but 
overcome evil with good. 



Do not try to "get 



even. 



Instead, act so gener- 
ously that your ad- 
versary will be 
ashamed of him- 
self. 

Win out by doing 
good. 



That is a large contract, as our small boy truly 
said, but there does not seem to be much hypocrisy 
in it after all. Love seems to be the foundation 
from start to finish. Paul appeared to think so too, 
for in that place in Galatians (5: 22) where he says 
that the "fruit" of the spirit is "love, joy, peace, 
long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith" and so 
on, you will notice that love comes first on the list. 
In Philippians 1 : 9 he writes : i ' This I pray, that 
your love may abound yet more and more in knowl- 
edge and in all judgment." It is a quality which 
grows with use and experience and is not to be ex- 
ercised without ' i judgment. ' 9 

We cannot exercise judgment without using the 
mind ; so here we are back again at the words spoken 



LOVE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY 265 

by Jesus about loving with the mind as well as with 
the heart and the soul. It all seems to come to this : 
that if we put the test of our minds upon a problem 
of this sort, we can usually distinguish between 
surface contradictions and the real heart of the 
matter. 

Just as a crude illustration, let us imagine coming 
into a room and seeing a baby we love in the act of 
climbing out along a window-ledge high above the 
ground. It would not be showing much love if we 
let him go on doing the dangerous thing he wants to 
do ; but we would not be showing any common sense 
whatever if we shouted out our displeasure in a way 
to startle him. If we did so he would most likely 
lose his hold and fall then and there. We stand a 
much better chance of saving him if we conceal our 
fears and go about it gently — nobody will call that 
hypocrisy. 

Paul's most eloquent words about love, among the 
most beautiful words in the whole Bible, are those in 
the 13th chapter of First Corinthians. Let us read 
them together. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Hypocrite. It may interest the class to be re- 
minded that hypocrite is the Greek word for play- 
actor. Some old meanings of the word are: mimic; 
one who accompanies the delivery of an actor 
by gestures ; a pretender ; a player ; one who assumes 
a false appearance ; plays a part ; feigns to be what 



266 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

he is not, or to feel or believe what he does not 
actually feel or believe; more especially "a false 
pretender to piety or virtue/' 

Everyday Manners. Give people the benefit of 
the doubt. As an example of how not to tell 
the truth, cite the outspoken lady who went to 
make a duty-visit upon her relations. Such visits 
were always a strain on both sides. The relatives, 
doing their best to be friendly, led her into 
the library and proudly exhibited a new bookcase 
which they had long desired. 

The visitor gave it one glance. "Yes. Hideous, 
isn't it?" she said, and turned away. 

The Thirteenth Chapter of First Corinthians. 
If the young people are to learn this as their con- 
tribution to the closing exercises, it may make it 
easier to commit to memory if it be copied in the 
form of free verse, in four stanzas, beginning re- 
spectively, "Though I speak, " "Love suffereth 
long," "Love never faileth," and "When I was a 
child." 

Hymns. There is a chance in this lesson to 
refer to and possibly to read some of the old 
familiar hymns such as: "Love divine, all love 
excelling"; 

"The King of love my Shepherd is"; and 
"0 love that wilt not let me go." 

LESSON MOTTOS 

"Let us not love in word, neither with the tongue, but in 
deed and truth. " • — I John 3 : 18. 



LOVE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY 267 

"He prayeth well who loveth well, 
Both man and bird and beast. 

He prayeth best, who loveth best 
All things both great and small; 

For the dear God who loveth us, 
He made and loveth all." 

— Coleridge: " Ancient Mariner.' ' 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XXXV 

Read Romans 12: 9-21 and then write out in your own 
words eight items of a Code of Conduct that you would be 
willing to try to live by. 

"We will compare them in class and see whether we would 
be willing to live by the code any of the others write. Also, 
how near we come to the standard set by Paul, who had 
great love for his fellow men, and was not a hypocrite. 



LESSON XXXVI 
DEATH OF PETEE AND PAUL 

One would suppose that the apostles who had 
known Jesus personally and had been trained by him 
would have been objects of the greatest interest and 
reverence to the other Christians, and that every- 
thing they said and did would have been written 
down and treasured and handed on from generation 
to generation. 

But the ways of God are very different from the 
ways of men. As a matter of fact we know nothing 
whatever about the after history of nine out of the 
eleven who followed Jesus up to the time of his 
death. They are not mentioned again. We hear 
of John occasionally, usually as a silent companion 
of Peter. By gleaning everything possible from the 
gospels and from the book of Acts, and piecing this 
out with the two epistles traditionally ascribed to 
Peter, we think we know a good deal about him. 
We do learn something about his life, and more 
about his character; but as to the manner of his 
death we have only tradition. The same is true of 
Paul, though he had nearly a whole book written 
about him. The work of these great teachers 
* ' passed into history largely as an impersonal force ? > 
says Gilbert. 

Perhaps that is God's way of teaching us that 

268 



DEATH OF PETER AND PAUL 269 

work is of far more importance than any individual ; 
for we find the same lesson repeated wherever we 
look. In nature the coral insects build their little bit 
of reef and die ; but others take their place and the 
reef endures, and grows until it makes a harbor in 
which great ships may lie in safety through a storm. 
In history characters appear, do great and daring 
things, and pass out of the memory of the men who 
applauded them, long before they pass out of life. 
This was the case in our own history with Lewis and 
Clark, those young army officers who were the first 
white Americans to cross this continent from sea to 
sea. 

But to return to Peter and Paul. It is believed 
that they perished about the same time, during 
Nero's cruel reign. (1) We know that Paul's trial 
was delayed for at least two years after he reached 
Rome. The reason may have been that his accusers 
desired to gather other evidence against him, and to 
bring witnesses from a distance. With travel as 
difficult as it was upon the Mediterranean during 
eight months of the year, the delay is not as strange 
as at first appears. Possibly his appeal to Cassar 
was not a safe subject for correspondence, and that 
this accounts for the lack of records concerning it. 
Some maintain that Paul was released after this 
first captivity in Rome and traveled again; that he 
may even have fulfilled his cherished desire to go to 
Spain, before another arrest and imprisonment 
ended in martyrdom. The final outcome, however, 
was only a matter of time. 



270 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

All that we can be sure of is that he did his work 
faithfully as long as he was permitted to live, and 
died cheerfully when his time came. (2) Paul be- 
lieved with the Psalmist that "unto God the Lord 
belong the issues from death." (Ps. 68:20) (3) 
"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" he 
wrote the Philippians (1: 21) "Yea, and if I be of- 
fered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I 
joy, and rejoice with you all." (Phil. 2:17) He 
knew that he had been faithful to the trust reposed 
in him, and that nothing else mattered. (4) In the 
days when the second epistle to Timothy was be- 
lieved to have been written by Paul, it was some- 
times called Paul's last will and testament. Who- 
ever wrote the words : "I have fought a good fight, 
I have finished my course ; I have kept the faith, ' ' 
expressed Paul's great spirit. (4:7) So too did 
the words "I am now ready to be offered, and the 
time of my departure is at hand." (II Tim. 4: 6) 

(5) According to tradition he met his death at 
Tre Fontane, about three miles south of Rome on 
the Ostian Way, which we see from the map par- 
allels the more famous Appian Way. It is believed 
that he was beheaded. 

The traditions about Peter are more picturesque. 
(6) He also was willing to leave the whole matter in 
the hands of God. "And who is he that will harm 
you, if ye be followers of that which is good," 
asks I Peter 3 : 13. Peter was impulsive, and the 
story runs that he fled down the Appian Way when 
the danger of crucifixion grew very near. As he 



DEATH OF PETER AND PAUL 271 

was fleeing he met a vision of Jesus who stopped and 
questioned him: "Whither goest thou, Peter V "I 
flee from death, Lord; whither goest thou?" "I go 
up to Rome to be crucified." Whereupon Peter 
turned back to meet death, so repentant that he 
begged to be crucified head downward, deeming it 
too great an honor to die in the same manner that 
Jesus had died. 

Both Peter and Paul were great, whole-souled 
men. Peter seems the more lovable of the two ; and 
offers a more encouraging example to many of us, 
not because he was impulsive, and was constantly 
stumbling into sin, but that, repentant but undis- 
couraged, he picked himself up and climbed out of it 
and continued on his way. But Paul is a very hu- 
man and inspiring person also, strong, fearless, 
straight-thinking, devoted, energetic, persistent, yet 
sympathetic, and liberal-minded to a degree which 
few of his day and faith could approach, and which 
not many who have the benefit of his example can 
emulate. Dr. Sullivan calls him "one of those 
knights and noblemen of God, who are stern in meet- 
ing duty, but quick to give affection ; who are unwill- 
ing to cause pain to others, yet are resolved at any 
cost to be true to conscience/ 7 

Think of all he renounced when he made his great 
decision. Think of his long weary waiting at Tar- 
sus, and of the long years of his ministry, handi- 
capped by ill health. We must not say weary years 
of ministry, for his soul was never weary in his 



272 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

work, no matter how much his body may have 
suffered. Steadfast years would be a better ex- 
pression, for he was constantly enjoining steadfast- 
ness, and showing the need for endurance, with a 
persistence which hints that he knew by personal 
experience how much such advice would be needed. 

With his endurance and his energy; the long 
marches he actually made, and his frequent use of 
the imagery of war in his references to soldiers 
and to armor, he has come to be looked upon as the 
type of Christianity moving forward to conquer. 
The lesson his life teaches is that suffering does not 
matter, that length or shortness of days does not 
matter, provided one 's face is always toward the goal 
and the goal is worth striving for. He shows us 
that a prisoner in a just cause is freer than an un- 
righteous king. (7) "Therefore, my beloved breth- 
ren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in 
the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that 
your labor is not in vain." (I Cor. 15: 58) (8) 
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith 
Christ hath made us free." (G-al. 5: 1) 

This was indeed faith, of the kind we tried to de- 
fine a Sunday or two ago; and the way in which 
his own example has carried its message through 
the ages goes far to prove to doubting men that 
mind and spirit are indeed the real and enduring 
things. 

"Life must be measured by thought and action, 
not by time," wrote Sir John Lubbock. And an- 



DEATH OF PETER AND PAUL 273 

other has reminded us that for the hero there can 
be no tragedy, since the only real tragedy is the 
breaking down of moral purpose. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Use Map of Rome, also photographs. 

Passing into History as an Impersonal Force. 
Dr. Hale's poem, "All Souls" beginning "What 
was his name? I do not know his name. I only 
know he heard God's voice and came" expressed 
this in regard to our American forefathers. The 
poem may be found in Dr. Hale's collected works, 
and in Apples of Gold by Mrs. Clara Bancroft 
Beatley, p. 167. 

Peter 's Example. 

"But noble souls, through dust and heat, 
Rise from disaster and defeat 

The stronger; 
And conscious still of the divine 
"Within them, lie on earth supine 
No longer. ' ' 

—Longfellow, "The Sifting of Peter." 

Memorial Day. If this lesson is used near the 
Memorial Day anniversary, any local celebration 
may be referred to and utilized in pointing out the 
parallel between the soldiers who have laid down 
their lives for country and these men who died for 
their faith. 



274 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 



LESSON MOTTO 

"Wherever through the ages rise 
The altars of self-sacrifice ; 
Where love its arms hath opened wide, 
Or man for men has calmly died ; 
I see the same white wings outspread 
That hovered o 'er the Master 's head. ' ' 

— Whittier, "Miriam." 

QUESTIONS, LESSON XXXVI 

1. 

Tell us what you remember we found out about the dif- 
ficulties of sailing the Mediterranean in winter, in Paul's 
time. 

2. 
Recite to us verse 20 of the Sixty-eighth Psalm ; and bring 
some other quotation expressing the same idea. It need not 
be from the Bible. 

3. 
Paul's attitude toward living and dying is expressed in 
Philippians, 1 : 21. Please read it to us. And also Phil. 
2:17. 

4. 
Recite to us II Timothy 4 : 7, and bring some other quota- 
tion expressing the same idea. 

5. 

Show us upon the map of Rome the Ostian and the Ap- 
pian Ways. 

6. 
Please recite to us I Peter 3 : 13. 



DEATH OF PETER AND PAUL 275 

7. 
Please recite I Cor. 15 : 58. 

8. 
Please recite Gal. 5 : 1. 



LESSON XXXVII 

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 64-100 AD. AND 

LATER 

At the time Jesus died, his disciples and followers 
were a very small band of men and women in a very 
small country. By the time Paul didd, the Christian 
church had spread until it was a force to be reckoned 
with on all shores of the Mediterranean, and practi- 
cally throughout the civilized world of that day. 

Although there were other eminent teachers after 
Paul and his group passed away, doctrines and writ- 
ings soon became of greater importance than mere 
individuals, and the Gospels, the Revelation of John, 
and other notable books were written. 

The church has had many great leaders since 
Paul, but not one who has influenced it to the same 
extent. One reason for this, aside from Paul's 
earnestness and strong personality, was the mere 
increase of the church in size. That of itself 
brought complications and even changed the nature 
of the problems with which it was confronted. A 
moment's thought will make this clear. 

One man, alone, on a desert island, can do as he 
will. 

Two people can get along together with very few 
rules. 

276 



THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 277 

A family of ten has to have more rules and to fol- 
low them more strictly, in order to live in peace 
and comfort. 

A church numbering 200 must have officers, as 
the early Christians found. 

A town of 20,000 has to have many regulations. 

A country of many million inhabitants needs still 
other kinds of law. 

Even during Paul's day new problems arose in 
the church because of its increasing numbers. 
These he met, in his character of great leader and 
teacher, answering questions, expounding, direct- 
ing; striving always to make clear the distinction 
between rules and observances which after all were 
unimportant, and the great central simple truth that 
God is God of the Hebrew and Gentile alike, a lov- 
ing Father to all his children. 

There is a constant tendency, in religion as else- 
where, away from the simple toward the complex. 
We studied this in the religion of the Hebrews, 
whose early belief was in a tribal God ; then in the 
God of a nation made up of different tribes, and 
later still in a God who had dealings with a countless 
number of individuals. Last of all, the worship of 
Jehovah hardened into the ritualism of the Phar- 
isees with its many burdensome rules of conduct. 

The teachings of Jesus threw off this crust of 
empty observances to lay stress upon our nearness 
to God, and consequently upon our responsibility 
toward our brother men. He opened a path toward 
God to even the humblest soul, and made it so plain 



278 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

and simple that a child could understand and follow 
it. 

But people love mystery, — particularly uned- 
ucated people. There was, indeed there still is, a 
feeling that so precious and wonderful a thing as 
religion must be hedged about by all sorts of difficul- 
ties and be very hard to attain ; that there must be 
some sort of magic and hocus-pocus about it. So 
people manufacture mystery where there is none, in- 
stead of recognizing the beauty and mystery of 
simple things as very wise folk do. It is well said 
that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing." 

Through all the long centuries of church history 
the tendency has been to overlay the simple truth 
which Jesus taught with a mass of explanations, 
some of which do not explain. Even Paul did this 
to a certain extent, for already in his epistles mat- 
ters are discussed that Jesus either ignored entirely 
or treated as of minor importance. 

As such a mass of explanation accumulates, the 
central truth becomes so covered up that in time it 
seems in danger of being quite lost. But always in 
the past, when the critical moment has been reached, 
a great reformer has arisen to clear away the rub- 
bish and point out the simple truth again, as Jesus 
did ; as Paul did ; and as the greatest teachers since 
Paul ? s day have done. 

We may venture to say that religion is this warm 
vital central truth, while theology is the mass of 
well-meant explanation men have raised around it. 

Considered merely as history, the history of the 



THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 279 

Christian church is wonderfully rich and picturesque 
and varied. It may be likened to a great cathedral, 
which has been rising slowly through hundreds 
of years, inspired by one idea, but with ever-chang- 
ing architects and styles of building. 

Following out this figure, the foundations would 
be in the age of persecution, during which the Chris- 
tians were hunted from place to place, and had to 
live under ground, carrying on in the darkness 
their worship and devotion. When, about 325 a.d., 
the Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity, 
their sudden release from dread of such persecu- 
tion must have been like coming up out of the earth 
into sunshine. The foundations of the cathedral 
were finished. But it proved merely a change of 
problem; the walls had yet to be laid. Centuries 
of controversy followed, — a season of endless dis- 
cussion and argument, and not a little fighting about 
questions of doctrine. 

From time to time Ecumenical Councils, as gen- 
eral assemblies of church dignitaries were called, 
came together in efforts toward compromise and 
agreement. This might be likened to hewing the 
stones out of which the cathedral was being built 
into the same general shape and size, so that its 
walls should stand firm and true. 

Indeed, the first of these Councils had been held 
in Jerusalem before Paul set out on his second 
missionary journey. You remember it was there 
he won his victory over those conservative people 
who thought that only good Jews should be eligible 



280 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

to membership in the new church. Another famous 
gathering was the one at Nicae in 325, presided 
over by no less a personage than Constantine him- 
self. The question then was the exact relationship 
of Christ to God. As God's son could he be equal 
with him in power? The Nicene Creed, still re- 
peated in many churches, was formulated at a later 
council, probably well along in the 4th Century. 
There was an Ecumenical Council in Constanti- 
nople in 381, one in Ephesus in 431; one in Chal- 
cedon in 451; with still more in the following cen- 
turies. 

Each of these councils was occupied with ques- 
tions which seemed of supreme importance at the 
time, but which later generations cannot regard in 
the same light, because the church has already 
reached and passed beyond that particular stage of 
development. You recall Paul's "When I was a 
child I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought 
as a child." 

Temporal politics enter into the story of the 
church, because, no matter how much man may try 
to consider religion a thing by itself, it is in reality 
a part of his very life, and as such colors his every- 
day acts. Through many centuries the history of 
the church became the history of the development of 
modern Europe. Of America as well, for the new 
continent entered into the story with the earliest 
Spanish and French explorers, who brought priests 
with them to Christianize the Indians. Then came 
our own forefathers, intent on religious freedom. 



THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 281 

We, as their descendants, have our part in the 
story too. Religion and the church are not at all 
the same thing; but the church is what our relig- 
ion makes it. Each of us has his own task, small 
though it may be, in building the great edifice. In 
this work the young people must take the places of 
older ones as they drop out ; and the building they 
do will be beautiful and lasting just -in proportion 
as they bring to it the clearest thinking of which 
their brains are capable, and the most loyal devotion 
that is in their hearts. 

When we remember Paul, he looms very large 
in the church as master-builder. It has been said 
that Jesus gave us the Christian religion, and that 
without Paul we should not have had the Christian 
Church. Whether this is true or not, he laid mighty 
foundations. We honor him for it; but most of 
all for the kind of man he was ; noble, loyal, gener- 
ous, and absolutely true to his belief that God is 
the Father of all races of men. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Map. Refer again to the map used in the very 
first lesson. 

"From the Simple to the Complex.' y In school 
the members of the class have probably had 
elementary biology. Some common illustration 
may be used. 

Beauty and Mystery of Simple Things. To 
illustrate, use any complicated article made by 



282 SOME CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES 

man, such as a watch, and compare it with 
some apparently simple flower, like the daisy, when 
seen under the microscope. 

Cathedrals. York is a good one to use as an 
example of changing styles in architecture, since it 
begins with a Saxon crypt. Point out the different 
styles ; that some are not so good as those they re- 
place, but that all were used in the pious belief that 
a more glorious temple was to result from the 
change. Photographs are easy to obtain. The little 
pamphlet devoted to York in Bell's Cathedral Series 
is small and convenient in size, yet contains many 
illustrations. 

Catacombs. The teacher who has a memory of 
his or her visit to the catacombs of Rome may draw 
upon it to good advantage. 

Constantine. Devote a few moments to the con- 
trasts in his character. His recognition of the flam- 
ing sign in the sky at midday. Yet he executed his 
wife and son without a qualm. 

Leaders Who> Were True To the Faith. "If 
there is time to dwell on individuals, Luther's splen- 
did reply at his trial must not be forgotten. 

"Since you seek a plain answer, I will give it 
without horns or teeth. Except I am convinced by 
holy scripture, or some evident proof — for I trust 
neither Pope nor Council — I am bound by the scrip- 
tures by me cited. I cannot retract, and I will not 
retract, anything; for against the conscience it is 
neither safe nor sound to act." He said this in 



THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 283 

Latin, the language in which his trial was being con- 
ducted. Then, breaking into his mother tongue 
he added, "Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. 
God help me! Amen.'* 

Periods Picturesque alike in Church and Secular 
History. 

Holy Roman Empire— 800-1500. 
Crusades— about 200 years— 1095-1291. 
Founding of the great religious orders. 
The Inquisition. 
The Reformation. 

LESSON MOTTOS 

"One, with God, is a majority.' ' 

"Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to 
God." —Milton. 

"This that never ends, 
Still climbing, luring fancy still to climb ; 
As full of morals half divined as life. 



Your blood is mine, ye architects of dream, 
Builders of aspiration, incomplete. 
Nay, did Faith build this wonder? or did Fear 
That makes a fetish and misnames it God? 



Today's eternal truth Tomorrow proved 
Frail as frost-landscapes on a window-pane, 

Meanwhile thou smiledst 

The climbing instinct was enough for thee. ' ' 

—Lowell, ' ' The Cathedral. ' 



284 SOME CHEISTIAN PRINCIPLES 



QUESTION, LESSON XXXVII 

No lesson question has been appended, on the assumption 
that the class will be busy preparing for whatever part it 
may have to take in the closing exercises of the school. 



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